Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring

Recorded towards the end of his 25-year reign at the helm of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Salonen here demonstrates what a superb orchestra he’d trained. Playing is crisp, rhythmically precise, but also alive to the amazing range of colours these three works demand. Mussorgsky’s ghoulish nocturnal fiesta takes on a menace in its original scoring; Bartók’s sleazy ballet oozes atmosphere; and Stravinsky’s shattering Rite has rarely been presented with such a feeling for its orchestral originality, thanks to the magnificent recording.