Word Rake

This opera is a masterpiece. The music is some of Stravinsky's finest work and the libretto is brilliant. Based on Hogarth's satirical etchings, this is an ironic look at the nature of love and ambition. Auden and Kallman developed a libretto which is the perfect complement to Stravinsky's neoclassical style. This is probably the finest English language opera and while there isn't much competition for that title, this work is a masterpiece by any standard. This recording is a fine production with excellent singing and orchestral work.

Works of Igor Stravinsky is a massive set: 22 CDs of performances of Rite of Spring, Petrouschka, L'Histoire du soldat, Symphony in E-Flat, The Rake's Progress and more under the direction of the composer, with additional performances by his disciple Robert Craft under Stravinsky's supervision, and a disc (the Sympony in E-Flat disc, actually) that includes recordings of rehearsals and Stravinsky discussing his own music.

Introducing American soprano Nadine Sierra with her debut album, There’s A Place for Us. The album is not only a showcase of her stunning, MET-seasoned vocalism but also a reflection of America’s history as a refuge for all. In this spirit, the album features music by Leonard Bernstein and émigrés Igor Stravinsky and Osvaldo Golijov, as well as songs from Heitor Villa-Lobos in homage to Sierra’s Portuguese roots. Offering her sumptuous voice in a range of genres from Brazilian art music to American opera and art song, Sierra reminds us that all music and all people have a place in America.

Igor Stravinsky (17 June 1882 – 6 April 1971) is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential composers of the 20th century. The New Stravinsky Complete Edition (30 CD box set), the most complete survey of the composer’s works ever compiled, has been released to mark the 50th anniversary of his death.