Though Ozawa's previous complete recording of the Firebird ballet was made with the Orchestre de Paris on HMV, he had earlier recorded the 1919 Firebird suite with this same orchestra (RCA LSB4009, 12/70—nla), and on the salient movements contained in the suite the contrasts of interpretation are fascinating. As one would expect, the new version is the most refined of the three. If when the first Paris orchestra version was issued, I was troubled by the slack ensemble in many passages, no one will complain this time on that score. On the other hand, with the extra refinement has come a degree of detachment, chill even. One always thinks of Kastchei's Dance as an orchestral showpiece to stretch any hi-fi equipment, yet Ozawa's latest reading is relatively light and transparent with dance rhythms well sprung and the bite of fortissimo reserved for sforzando chords. The Paris version is rougher of ensemble but warmer and weightier, while the earlier Boston version from the suite is more exciting than either, more dashing and biting at a faster speed.
That contrast is fairly typical, and to my surprise I have found myself valuing the warmth of the Paris version and forgiving the occasional slackness rather than preferring the new Boston account all through. The Parisians may not be well disciplined, but they seem to understand the ballet better, as well they might.
Nor is the new digital recording, good as it is, a total improvement on the excellent 1973 analogue one from Paris. On LP it has been transferred at a far lower level, and that emphasizes the relative lack of body in the heavy brass and strings, a point which comes out when you also compare this new digital recording with Dorati's recent Detroit one on Decca, where immediacy and inner clarity match a robust rather than a refined reading. In a sense the distancing matches the extra reserve and refinement of Ozawa's latest reading, but it may disappoint those who regard this work as an orchestral showpiece. The Paris recording more clearly than the new Boston one also has the merit of relating the orchestral ensemble to a believable surrounding acoustic, where from Boston one has a beautiful tapestry rather unrelated to specific surroundings. Compact Disc may help to give sharper focus and greater immediacy, but in the meantime I would recommend as preferable both on LP and CD (see below) the excellent Concertgebouw account with Sir Colin Davis on Philips which may be an analogue recording but has transferred to the new medium superbly. The interpretation too has more weight and bite than the new one.'