Rouvali conducts Stravinsky

Finnish artists Santtu-Matias Rouvali and Pekka Kuusisto bring their energy and invention to music infused with rhythmic vigour.
Combining lively irreverence and memorable tunes, Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto whirls across the orchestra with infectious patterns.

His Petrushka tells the fantastical tale of three puppets brought to life at a Shrovetide fair. Inspired by Russian legend, Stravinsky fused traditional folk songs with his own vivid musical storytelling. Hear how the bustling dances of the festival suddenly vanish as the magician arrives with menacing bassoons, and how two clarinets paint the otherworldly twilight of a scene in Petrushka’s room.

John Adams described The Chairman Dances as an ‘outtake’ from his opera Nixon in China. The music combines lush Hollywood harmonies with a vision of Chairman Mao and Madame Mao dancing a foxtrot together.

Programme

Adams The Chairman Dances (Foxtrot for orchestra)
Stravinsky Violin Concerto

Interval

Stravinsky Petrushka 

Performers

Philharmonia Orchestra
Santtu-Matias Rouvali conductor
Pekka Kuusisto violin