This is a curious release. Apparently, it represents two thirds of a concert where the other work was Debussy’s La Mer.

Orchestra de Paris

It’s Pablo Heras-Casado’s first foray into the recording studio with the Paris Orchestra. Most of his previous recordings have been made with wither the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra or the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. I can only agree with one reviewer who sensed a Gallic refinement and nuance in the playing. If it’s the visceral attack you’re after in The Rite of Spring – say Bernstein’s original CBS recording or either of Igor Markevich’s mono and stereo ones with the Philharmonia at the zenith of its glory, (admittedly, they had the unique ability to combine it with suavité) you might be initially disappointed but, at no time, could the dismissive comment made by the composer about Karajan’s first recording “Tempo di hoochie coochie” be levelled at the Dance of the Adolescents, here. The detail of the recording is impressive, allowing inner voices to be heard and the climax is as scabrous as any I’ve heard.