Various orchestras/Pierre Boulez
Deutsche Grammophon 477 8730(6 CDs) *****

Pierre Boulez conducts Stravinsky with unusual distinction. These recordings, now issued at a special price, cover works major and minor (including the early ballets, the Symphony of Psalms, and a range of vocal works, early and late) were made between 1980 and 1996, and remain hugely impressive. Boulez's performance of The Rite of Springwill make you fall in love with the work all over again, and his delight in the textures and colours of the composer's various styles communicates vividly. Listening to these performances with some of the world's greatest orchestras and ensembles (the Chicago Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic) and the Ensemble InterContemporain, the sum almost seems greater than the parts. www.dgwebshop.com