Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales perform 20th-century works by Stravinsky and Rachmaninov in St David's Hall, Cardiff.
From St David’s Hall in Cardiff, Ryan Bancroft conducts the BBC National Orchestra of Wales to kick off their recent season with a pair of works from the turn of the 20th century. Starting with Sergey Rachmaninov’s vivaciously virtuosic Third Piano Concerto, with its melancholic but dignified opening theme and rhythmically ferocious and hammering finale, you cannot fail to fall in love with the lush orchestral texture and variety of emotional intensities. Originally premiered in 1909 with the composer at the piano, this great and challenging work is played by the versatile and thrilling young pianist, Yeol Eum Son.
Whilst Rachmaninov was in full swing as a much-sought-after concert pianist of the Romantic style, fellow countryman Igor Stravinsky had recently emerged as a great avant-garde composer, well on the road to forging a long creative partnership with ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev.
Controversial from the outset, Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring still has the power to shock and surprise, as it did at its notorious premiere in Paris. Epic in scale and ferocity, the ballet depicts a pagan ritual in which a chosen sacrificial virgin dances herself to death - the angular contortions and tortured motions are countered by moments of beauty and stillness, reflective of spring and new life.
Tonight’s programme is presented by Josie d’Arby.
Last on
More episodes
Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
-
00:03Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Piano Concerto No 3 In D Minor, Opus 30
-
00:05
Not Credited
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No 3 In D Minor, Op 30 - Allegro Ma Non Tanto
-
00:14
Hirschfeld, David
First Movement Cadenza From The Rach 3
-
00:23
The Philadelphia Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Eugene Ormandy
Concerto No. 3 In D Minor, Op. 30: Intermezzo: Adagio
-
00:23
Nelson Freire
Cd2,9 Rachmaninov Mvt2. Intermezzo (Adagio) -Piano Concerto No.3 In D Minor, Op.30 - Live In Amsterdam 1979
-
00:30
Russian State Symphony Orchestra, Evgeny Svetlanov, Barry Douglas
Concerto For Piano and Orchestra No.3 In D Minor, Op.30: II. Intermezzo. Adagio
-
00:48
Evgeny Kissin, Seiji Ozawa, Boston Symphony Orchestra
Piano Concerto No. 3 In D Minor, Op. 30: L' Istesso Tempo; Finale: Alla Breve
-
00:33
Charles Munch, Byron Janis, Boston Symphony Orchestra
Piano Concerto No. 3, Opus 30 In D Minor: Intermezzo: Adagio (Rematered 2003)
-
00:57
Vladimir Ashkenazy
????? ???? (1947??) ??
-
01:00
Zubin Mehta, New York Philharmonic Orchestra
The Rite of Spring: Part I, The Adoration of The Earth: Spring Rounds
-
01:01
Sydney Symphony Orchestra, David Robertson
Stravinsky: Le Sacre Du Printemps / Part 1 - Spring Rounds
-
01:02
Sydney Symphony Orchestra, David Robertson
Stravinsky: Le Sacre Du Printemps / Part 1 - Games of The Rival Tribes
-
01:04
Daniele Gatti, Orchestre National De France
Le Sacre Du Printemps (The Rite of Spring): Part One: The Adoration of The Earth: Procession of The Wise Elder (Molto Allegro)
-
01:04
Seiji Ozawa, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Rite of Spring: Part I: The Adoration of The Earth: Procession of The Wise Elder
-
01:07
Seiji Ozawa, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Rite of Spring: Introduction
-
01:07
Australian World Orchestra / Zubin Mehta
Part 2: The Sacrifice: Introduction
-
01:13
Sydney Symphony Orchestra, David Robertson
Stravinsky: Le Sacre Du Printemps / Part 2 - Mystic Circles of The Young Girls
-
01:18
Seiji Ozawa, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Rite of Spring: Ritual of The Ancients
-
01:18
Pierre Monteux
Danse Sacrale
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Josie d'Arby |
| Performer | Yeol Eum Son |
| Conductor | Ryan Bancroft |
| Orchestra | BBC National Orchestra of Wales |
Broadcast
- Sun 15 Jan 2023 20:00
Featured in...
Classical
A wide array of thrilling classical music on the BBC