Stravinsky/ Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra - Firebird Suite 1919 / Romeo & Juliet

This recording was made at the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, famous as the venue for the International Chopin Piano Competitions. The wonderful richness of the sound evokes the rich tradition and history of both the orchestra and the hall. You can enjoy the immense dynamic range of the orchestra, from the smallest sounds to the loudest, hall-shaking fortissimos. In silence, one can hear things like the chirping and birds and the quiet of night, which cannot be heard in other recordings. The excitement of the final stage, building up from "dawn" to the "chorale," is simply astounding. "Romeo and Juliet" is performed in a way that brings the scenes to life in front of your eyes. The depth of love between two people expressed here evokes feelings of sympathy in the audience. The polonaise played by a Polish orchestra is full of animation indeed. The phrasing and harmony there has a unique something, conveying the unique accents of music by Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky in a tasteful manner. Especially in "Romeo and Juliet," treatment of the minor harmonies reminds one of the Polish orchestral tradition, making one feel a painfully nostalgic mood. The veteran conducting of Noriaki Kitamura (born 1949) let's the orchestra play around freely, while at the same time, bringing them together at key points.