The music of Stravinsky’s "The Rite of Spring" has come down to us in the form of the orchestral score (which was laid aside amid the turmoil of World War I and only published in 1922) and a piano duet version published shortly before its 1913 premiere. Both versions are presented here side by side. These are not two aesthetically equal realizations of one and the same compositional concepts. Not only was ‘The Rite’ conceived from the outset as an orchestral work; it also owes its overwhelming impact in great measure to the colorful and often deliberately percussive sound of its instrumental forces.

"This is the fourth production on the Sinfonieorchester Basel's in-house label, established in 2012. Renowned American conductor and pianist Dennis Russell Davies has been the orchestra's principal conductor since 2009. Honegger's Second Symphony (‘Symphonie liturgique’), completed in 1941 and premiered by Paul Sacher in 1942, follows the dramatic and emotional symphonic tradition of Beethoven, but in its form and spirit, hues towards the style of Haydn or Mozart."

This new set includes all three Stravinsky ballets recorded by the Sinfonieorchester Basel under the direction of Dennis Russel Davis. The Sinfonieorchester Basel is based in Basel, Switzerland and often accompanies ballet and opera productions at the Theater Basel. They were founded in 1876 and have been going strong to present day. They have received numerous awards including Diapason d'Or in 2004 and 2005 as well as a nomination for the ICMA Music Award in 2015.

The singer-songwriter, storyteller, author and musician Linard Bardill sings and writes in Swiss German, German and Romansh, for children and adults. The Graubünden native received the German Cabaret Prize and the Salzburg Bull for his music, and the German Record Critics' Prize for his album "Tanz auf den Feldern" and "Caffe Caflisch". Bardill explores musical and thematic boundaries, as on his new production with the Basel Symphony Orchestra. The Basel Symphony Orchestra is one of the oldest and at the same time most innovative orchestras in Switzerland. Its principal conductor since 2009 has been the renowned American conductor and pianist Dennis Russell Davies. Musical Singspiel by Marius Felix Lange and Linard Bardill tells of Carol. She has a thousand wishes. She wants to fly, to breathe under water, to walk through walls. The jester Millistrade promises to grant her all her wishes if she sells him her sleep in return. Soon Carol realizes she can't go back. In the realm of the water king Aquatinta, it comes to a showdown, dream or reality, sleep or awakening.