Tag Archives: Stravinsky

Filing past the tomb of the master: Jurowski and the LPO on Stravinsky’s debt to Rimsky-Korsakov

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 … Continue reading

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Valery Gergiev and a youthful Mariinsky surge through Scheherazade

Mariinsky Orchestra/ Valery Gergiev **** Cadogan Hall, 8th October 2017 There are many incarnations of the Mariinsky Orchestra. On any day, it can be found simultaneously in its three St Petersburg venues. Yesterday evening, for example, it played Les Noces and Firebird for the ballet … Continue reading

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Prom 60: Petrenko and the Oslo Philharmonic wind up the decibel meter in Shostakovich

Oslo Philharmonic/ Vasily Petrenko **** Prom 60, Royal Albert Hall, 29th August 2017 There could hardly be a noisier way to commemorate the centenary of the Russian Revolution than a performance of Dmitri Shostakovich’s mighty Twelfth Symphony. The composer had planned … Continue reading

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McBurney paints The Rake’s Progress onto a blank canvas in Aix

Stravinsky: The Rake’s Progress **** Théâtre de l’Archevêché, Aix-en-Provence A blank sheet of paper can intimidate or inspire. The fresh page can stifle a writer, trapped in the glare of expectation, or can encourage daring originality, be it words in … Continue reading

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Return to the harem: Marianne Crebassa seduces in Ravel’s Shéhérazade in Paris

Aladdin: Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse/Sokhiev ***** Philharmonie, Paris, 20th May 2017 With barely time for coffee and baklava after the Orchestre Pasdeloup’s Arabian matinee, I stepped boldly back into the harem. Scheherazade resumed her tales in the Philharmonie’s Mille … Continue reading

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