Vladimir Jurowski has been principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra since 2007 and what comes across brilliantly on this new Stravinsky disc – recorded live in concert in 2014 and 2015 – is how focused and un-faffy he and the orchestra sound together by now. The playing is bright and elegant – occasionally too much so. Petrushka (the original 1911 version) is short on crazed energy and urban hubbub, but instead we get chamber-like clarity and a really crisp sense of the score’s architecture. Orpheus has a sombre, stately beauty, and the Symphonies of Wind Instruments is performed in the original version, with alto flute and alto clarinet giving excitingly mellow, gooey textures. Stravinsky described the piece as “an austere ritual” but also dedicated it to Debussy, and this performance clinches that balance between solemn observance and splendid colours. Best of all are the strange closing chorales, full of quiet, attentive poise.
