Stravinsky “Pastorale“ - Stokowski, arranger; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor

Leopold Stokowski championed countless living composers during his six decades conducting career. Stravinsky was high up among them, with Stokowski giving the US Premieres of such works as “The Rite of Spring,“ “Les Noces,“ “Oedipus Rex,“ “The Song of the Nightingale“ and “Symphonies of Wind Instruments.“ He also made the first American recordings of “The Rite of Spring,“ “Petrushka““ and “The Firebird Suite.“ His inclusion of “The Rite of Spring“ in Walt Disney’s ’Fantasia’ undoubtedly contributed to the work’s never-ending popularity. In 2013, Yannick Nézet-Séguin paid tribute to Stokowski with a CD of works which included “The Rite of Spring“ as well as several of Stokowski’s orchestral transcriptions. These included three of Bach’s organ works and the little “Pastorale“ heard here. This started life as a wordless song for soprano and piano, though Stra