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Stravinsky did three orchestral versions of his famous ballet, The Firebird (1910). The two that are mostly played today are a shorter version arranged in 1945, which is about 30 minutes long, and the original ballet suite, which is more than 45 minutes long. This is that version. The extended repeats and transitional material, in the right hands, give the whole work a decidedly spectral character. This, Boulez does expertly. (And the CSO has never sounded so...light on its feet.) Also here is the early Fireworks, where you can almost hear The Firebird approaching. The Four Etudes for Orchestra finish the disc like a snifter of brandy. --Paul Cook