When it comes to The Firebird, I always prefer the complete ballet. It's not much longer than the suite, and most of the best performances are complete. My choices are Dorati/London and Dohnanyi/Vienna (early Decca digital).
Personally I don't care for the suites. Unlike many, I really like the slower first half, which I understand in the ballet contains a lot of pantomime. Totally agree that the Dorati is the reference. I also like Boulez with New York. Those two aren't terribly dissimilar. What makes me a bit odd, in addition to other things 🙂, is my third favorite: Haitink and the Concergeouw. You have to listen to it with an open mind. The second side (I'm an LP guy) is a little quirky and not as exciting as the other two, but the first side is sublime and Haitink's approach brings out things that I really enjoy. That was also the first I owned so that may also figure in.
When it comes to The Firebird, I always prefer the complete ballet. It's not much longer than the suite, and most of the best performances are complete. My choices are Dorati/London and Dohnanyi/Vienna (early Decca digital).
Personally I don't care for the suites. Unlike many, I really like the slower first half, which I understand in the ballet contains a lot of pantomime. Totally agree that the Dorati is the reference. I also like Boulez with New York. Those two aren't terribly dissimilar. What makes me a bit odd, in addition to other things 🙂, is my third favorite: Haitink and the Concergeouw. You have to listen to it with an open mind. The second side (I'm an LP guy) is a little quirky and not as exciting as the other two, but the first side is sublime and Haitink's approach brings out things that I really enjoy. That was also the first I owned so that may also figure in.