Tapiola Sinfonietta / Masaaki Suzuki STRAVINSKY Pulcinella Suite - Apollon Musagète - Concerto in D for Strings

Masaaki Suzuki is renowned for his exceptional BIS recordings with the Bach Collegium Japan of the cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, but his repertoire isn't limited to Baroque music. This 2016 hybrid SACD presents Suzuki's performances of three of Igor Stravinsky's liveliest neoclassical works, the suite from Pulcinella, the ballet Apollon musagète, and the Concerto in D for strings, all expertly played by the Tapiola Sinfonietta. The jump from Bach to Stravinsky is a large one, though fans of Suzuki's meticulous conducting style will find in him an ideal interpreter for this emotionally cool but vibrantly colorful music. The orchestra plays with electric energy, and the highly charged performances more than make up for the apparent lack of sentiment in Stravinsky's music. But listeners will note above all else that these performances offer virtuosic brilliance, and the playing has a nearly tactile physicality that accurately reflects Stravinsky's notation. This impression is aided by the phenomenal multichannel sound, which has extraordinary depth and clarity, and the musicians have a close-up presence that is well balanced with the vibrant acoustics of the Tapiola Concert Hall. Highly recommended. (Blair Sanderson)