Igor Stravinsky – The Rite Of Spring: Concerto For Piano And Wind Instruments

Igor Stravinsky – The Rite Of Spring: Concerto For Piano And Wind Instruments

“Igor Stravinsky” – The Rite Of Spring: Concerto For Piano And Wind Instruments brings together two landmark works from one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. Spanning 1911–1924, the programme moves from the revolutionary The Rite Of Spring to the more structured and rhythmically precise Concerto For Piano And Wind Instruments, illustrating the remarkable development of Stravinsky’s musical language over little more than a decade.

The Rite Of Spring (Le Sacre du printemps) was composed between 1911 and 1913 and premiered in Paris on 29 May 1913 by Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, conducted by Pierre Monteux. Its explosive rhythms, unconventional harmonies, enormous orchestral forces and depiction of pagan Russia made it one of the defining works of early 20th-century modernism. The two-part work presented here, The Adoration Of The Earth and The Sacrifice, remains among Stravinsky’s most famous and frequently performed compositions.

More than a decade later, Stravinsky entered a different phase with the Concerto For Piano And Wind Instruments, composed in 1923–24 and premiered in Paris on 22 May 1924, with Stravinsky himself as piano soloist. Written for piano and wind ensemble rather than a conventional orchestra with strings, the three-movement concerto demonstrates the clarity, economy and rhythmic precision associated with his developing Neoclassical style.

This is therefore a particularly interesting Stravinsky pairing for listeners exploring 20th-century classical music, modernism, orchestral music and Neoclassicism. From the primal intensity and revolutionary orchestration of The Rite Of Spring to the leaner, more controlled sound of the Piano Concerto, these works showcase two hugely important chapters in Stravinsky’s artistic development.

Tracklist

The Rite Of Spring

1. Part 1. The Adoration Of The Earth – 15:10
2. Part 2. The Sacrifice – 17:40

Concerto For Piano And Wind Instruments
3. 1st Movement: Largo, Allegro – 7:14
4. 2nd Movement: Largo – 5:54
5. 3rd Movement: Allegro – 4:33