Sir Simon Rattle conducts Rachmaninov and Stravinsky

Rachmaninov
Symphonic Dances

Stravinsky
The Firebird

Berlin Philharmonic
Sir Simon Rattle

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Reviewed: 7 August, 2020
Venue:

Listen Again

Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic perform an all-Russian programme inspired by dance. Opening the concert is Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances – the composer’s blazing ‘final spark’ and, for many, his finest orchestral work. Embracing jazz, plainchant and the waltz, it is a mercurial showcase of dramatic skill.

In the second half we enter the Russian fairy-tale world of Stravinsky’s The Firebird, the vivid, folk-infused ballet score for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes that established the young composer as a rising star.

Read Past Reviews on the Classical Source

(From the BBC Proms, 5 September 2014)

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