Stravinsky: LPO/ Jurowski ****
Royal Festival Hall, 7th February 2018
“To orchestrate is to create, and this cannot be taught,” explained Rimsky-Korsakov in the preface to his book Principles of Orchestration. The composer himself was self-taught in such matters, yet the dazzling effect of works such as Scheherazade influenced a generation of pupils, especially the young Igor Stravinsky. It’s early days in the London Philharmonic’s Changing Faces series, tracing Stravinsky’s works chronologically alongside those of his contemporaries or influencers. This second concert marked his debt to his great mentor, culminating in Stravinsky’s glittering ballet The Firebird, itself bejewelled and varnished in a Rimsky-styled lacquer.
Vladimir Jurowski
© Drew Kelley
Read the full review on Bachtrack.