Album review: Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Philadelphia Orchestra, Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; Stokowski: Bach Transcriptions (Deutsche Grammophon)

The historical context lends particular interest to this release by Canadian wunderkind Yannick Nézet-Séguin: the American premiere performance and recording of The Rite of Spring were both by the Philadelphia Orchestra. Together with Stokowski's orchestral transcriptions of Bach, it's a homage to the lineage Nézet-Séguin has taken on. His Rite is exuberant and dramatic, its dynamic shifts executed with gusto. The Bach pieces are varied in approach: the "Toccata and Fugue in D minor" is skillfully transcribed to bring out its full, rich sonority, while the "Fugue in G minor" features exquisitely poised interplay between woodwind and strings.

Download: The Rite of Spring; Fugue in G minor; Toccata and Fugue in D minor