Gergiev is a dangerous gamble but nailed this! And yet, the definitive version is that of Kitajenko (the Audio CD version, not the complete ballet or live version). Those notes being sustained just a few seconds longer, goosebumps; and the crowd goes ecstatic!
Surely one of the most euphoric finishes in all classical music if Classic FM did a Top 50 of best endings to a classical piece then this would have to be Top 3. It's one of the few pieces that brings a joyful tear to the eye and after a near 45 minute perfomance of the whole suite conductor Valery Gergiev sweated out every last bit of his passion and soul for that climax.
Actually this isn' the finale of the suite version, but rather that of the full ballet version of the Firebird(which I prefer anyway). How to tell the difference: 1. 0:00-0:17 i.e. Kaschei's(the villiain's) Death is included on the full ballet version, but is cut out in the 1919 suite version. 2. The 2 huge bass drum rolls at the end only appear in the full ballet version, whereas the suite version only includes the big strokes at the end of those 2 rolls.
as a conductor myself i have to say that i think that 4:13 ninja move is epic. I usually tend to think that gergievs gestures must be a pain to follow for the orchestra, but here, o h my, this performance is something else.
Everyone here is rightly talking about the last (B maj) chord, but for my money the peak should be at the 4th to last chord with the F natural (tritone) at the top. I listened to a bunch of recordings and this is the only one (even including Stravinsky himself) that comes close to the total abandon I feel that chord needs. Well played Valery!
Bravo!!!! the most intense finale I ever heard of this remarkable Ballet! How woderful...as it should be!..."Gergiev dont want the music to be ended"..he gave full value to the chords including the final one...so passionate! this part is commonly played so fast even by Strawinsky himself...Perfromers are very necessary!!
..la verdadera música te hace ser impecable y único...no se puede repetir, se hace eterno mi sentir, en cada nota musical que estalla y oye mi alma juvenil 🙏 🎶💯
