Carlo Maria Giulini, Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Stravinsky: Suites from Petrushka & The Firebird (2026)

In these 1970 recordings, Giulini tames the ferocious power of the CSO brass and winds, channeling their virtuosity into a reading of extraordinary clarity and poetic depth. While many conductors lean into Stravinsky’s jagged edges, Giulini uncovers a hidden warmth and narrative flow, particularly in The Firebird, where the textures shimmer with a rare, luminous glow. The osmosis is palpable: the orchestra plays with a chamber-like sensitivity without losing an ounce of its trademark muscularity. This is Stravinsky not just as a modernist, but as a master of soulful, vivid storytelling.

Tracklist
01 Suite from Petrushka_ I. Russian Dance (1947 Version)
02 Suite from Petrushka_ II. Petrushka (1947 Version)
03 Suite from Petrushka_ III. The Moor (1947 Version)
04 Suite from Petrushka_ IV. (a) The Shrovetide Fair Towards Evening (1947 Version)
05 Suite from Petrushka_ IV. (b) The Wet Nurses Dance (1947 Version)
06 Suite from Petrushka_ IV. © The Peasant and the Bear (1947 Version)
07 Suite from Petrushka_ IV. (d) The Reveling Merchant and two Gipsy Women (1947 Version)
08 Suite from Petrushka_ IV. (e) Danse of the Coachmen and the Grooms (1947 Version)
09 Suite from Petrushka_ IV. (f) The Mummers (1947 Version)
10 Suite from the Firebird_ I. Introduction (1919 Version)
11 Suite from the Firebird_ II. Dance of the Firebird (1919 Version)
12 Suite from the Firebird_ III. Khorovod. Round Dance of the Princesses (1919 Version)
13 Suite from the Firebird_ IV. Infernal Dance of King Kashchei (1919 Version)
14 Suite from the Firebird_ V. Berceuse (1919 Version)
15 Suite from the Firebird_ VI. Finale (1919 Version)