#231 The Smell of Hovering

The music bridles, calms down, and assails again. Flexible, fluid, suggestive, like a piece of cloth hovering in the water.

The orchestra sound is very colorful and attentive. A fine, loving recording.

Composer: Béla Bartók
Work: The Miraculous Mandarin, III. Second seduction game: the young student
Recording: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop

#109 The Smell of Evil

There's no intention to be nice: it's supposed to be pagan, brusque. But this recording goes further. It's not devastating in the sound volume but it's so cold, mean, and bitchy.

Philharmonia Orchestra is bloodthirsty but the veins are empty. Pure rage is yet controlled by Markevich. Spring? Chilliness peeps through.

Composer: Igor Stravinsky
Work: The Rite of Spring, I. Adoration of the Earth
Recording: Philharmonia Orchestra, Igor Markevich (1959)

#108 The Smell of Pouring

It's easy to talk about folksy settings and square dances. What else do you want to smell here? I smell reunion in progress–small streams in a forrest, coming together, forming something bigger, of a higher call. They unite and continue in their way down, gurgling: smiling, sunny, festive.

You need to say Bernstein when you say Copland. A wonderful account, hearty and hilarious. Spring's in the air.

Composer: Aaron Copland
Work: Appalachian Spring Suite, 4. Fast
Recording: New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein

#106 The Smell of Sunrise

This piece is charged with positive energy. Everything goes up, everything grows and shines. Truly a magical world. Moreover, it's wonderfully recorded, so you can really follow different musical flows and be astonished how they intertwist and merge together.

This recording is from 1972 but there's still a touch of young Bernstein: swift tempos, fire, spontaneity. Is it even possible that strings can smile like that?

Composer: Petr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Work: Nutcracker Suite, 1. Miniature Overture
Recording: New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein

#54 The Smell of Edification

The finale of The Firebird gives you the unique feeling there's Good and there's Heaven. It's uprising, forcing you to stand up and tell it: Yes! Do whatever you have to do but keep the music playing!

It cannot be played too slowly, it cannot be too exciting, there's no "too much" in this piece, no excess is enough.

Composer: Igor Stravinsky
Work: The Firebird Suite, Finale
Recording: Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein

#10 The Smell of Countryside

There's music where's everything. It's funny, it's moving, it's majestic. The mood is changing every minute.

But above all, you can smell grassroots. So clean, easy to understand. Beautiful humbleness, no ornaments. Earthy, full-bodied, proud American music.

Composer: Aaron Copland
Work: Billy The Kid
Recording: San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas

#5 The Smell of Unexpected

Why unexpected? One, this dixieland ballet was written in 1927; two, the orchestra is actually only a sextet (piano, violin, cello, trumpet, basoon, and clarinet); three, tango, really?

Yes, tango. After the beginning, sounding like an ending, the rhythm is there, in piano. It's a dance kept unexpectedly low, with soothing trumpet solo. The second part is even darker, ending in void. It's the smell you don't expect from Martinů. I was not prepared to hear something like it at all.

Composer: Bohuslav Martinů
Work: La revue de cuisine, II. Tango
Recording: The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Christopher Hogwood