Paul Dukas
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Francisco Coll
Cello Concerto
BBC co-commission: UK premiere
Giacomo Puccini
Preludio sinfonico
Igor Stravinsky
The Firebird – suite (1945 version)
Sol Gabetta
cello
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Tianyi Lu
conductor
Reviewed by:
Reviewed: 18 August, 2024
Venue: Royal Albert Hall
Stravinsky showed his true colours in The Firebird. In this coruscating ballet music he unleashed for the first time the vivid colours that would captivate generations of theatre-goers. He had the perfect subject matter in the compelling story of the young Prince Ivan outwitting the evil sorcerer Kashchey and freeing the 13 enchanted Princesses with the help of the magical Firebird. Tianyi Lu also conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra in Puccini’s effortlessly lyrical Preludio sinfonico, Dukas’s retelling of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice tale and a new Cello Concerto by Francisco Coll, powered by dances ranging from the tango to the waltz.
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