Stravinsky: Rite of Spring & The Firebird

�Under Sokhiev the Toulouse orchestra plays The Rite with great skill and brilliance making an impressively unified sound. I felt that Sokhiev was somewhat cautious in his approach...[In The Firebird] the Toulouse orchestra under the calm, firm Sokhiev�s direction fare much better. Their playing has an abundance of drama that produces a glorious wash of warm sound.� --MusicWeb International, 17th June 2013

�As for the performances, these are polished and duly exciting...as an imaginative introduction to the world of the ballets, this is a welcome set.� --BBC Music Magazine, May 2013 ****

�Sokhiev's Rite of Spring takes heed of the work's many textural contrasts, with plenty of bite and bounce from the strings in the 'Mystical Circles of the Young Girls' and darkly wailing lower strings in 'Spring Rounds'...I'd call it a driven performance rather than especially elemental� --Gramophone Magazine, February 2013