Stravinsky The Composer, Vol.V - Renard, a burlesque in one act / Concerto for Two Pianos

The most important work on this fifth volume of the Musicmasters exhaustive portrait of Stravinsky: The Composer is Renard, an irreverent operatic farce. It's a small masterpiece, hilarious, tending toward an almost bawdy exuberance. The rest of the tracks are mainly engaging minor works: the Concerto for Two Pianos, Ragtime for Eleven Instruments, Four Norwegian Moods, and two Suites for Small Orchestra. As is always the case in these discs, conductor Robert Craft is dynamic and sensitive. --Joshua Cody