Stravinsky: Pulcinella; Symphony in Three Movements; Four Etudes

When it comes to conducting ­Stravinsky's neoclassical works, Pierre Boulez has always been selective, but the ballet Pulcinella and the Symphony in Three Movements are two of the pieces from that long period that meet with his approval. He has recorded both before: a 1970s account of the suite from Pulcinella is available on Sony, while the Symphony, as well as the Four Etudes, was included in the box of reissues of Boulez's Stravinsky released by Deutsche Grammophon at the end of last year. This live Chicago performance of the Symphony, though equally well played, is fractionally less massive or overwhelming than the studio account, while in Pulcinella – the ­complete score with the ­vocal numbers – there is the lingering feeling that Boulez does not ­completely trust Stravinsky's baroque time-travelling. The best performances here are of the ­miniatures: the Four Etudes fizz with quirky, unpredictable energy, conjuring a whole musical world that Stravinsky ­began to explore ­after The Rite of Spring but then ­abandoned in favour of neoclassicism.