Stravinsky composed three ballets in the 1910s, The Firebird Suite, Petrushka and The Rite of Spring. These were his first commercially successful compositions and arguably some of the most groundbreaking music of the 20th Century. The LSO led by Simon Rattle, conducting without a score, produced a gripping mesmerizing performance at the Barbican.
The Firebird Suite is perhaps my least favorite of the three, after the double bass heavy opening it drags a bit through a lengthy messy pastoral section that seems too lack a thread. This perhaps loses something without the ballet to accompany it. It soon heats up though and the final 15 minutes is gripping. Stravinsky's ability to stay just on the right side of avant garde keeps you guessing without ever straying into the unlistenable. At one point trumpets appeared in the audience to answer the calls from the orchestra. Unfortunately their shuffling around was a bit off-putting, particularly as they parts were short enough that they surely could have memorised their parts rather than mess around with music stands on the balcony.
After a short interval it was straight into the amazing Petrouchka, another terrific piece punctuated all the way through by some eerie piano playing, right before Stravinsky launches the chaos of the finale. The Rite of Spring, one of Stravinsky's most infamous pieces of music, was left to last. Another gripping, edge of the seat piece that is enthralling from start to finish. The constant changes in tone, tune and volume keep you guessing all the way through to the very loud ground standing finish. It sounds as inventive and brilliant today as it did when it shocked audiences 100 years ago, a timeless piece. The tuba solo is worth the entry fee on its own.
The basses and percussion continue to be the bedrock of the orchestra, their ability to play at low volumes is impressive. The brass section is not as good as should be, there were the odd bum note and as a group they were loose at times. The highlight was the tuba player putting in a rarely seen and huge Tuba mute only to then play one note and the percussionist who dropped the tambourine on a table, it was difficult to tell whether this was a mistake or not, I guess that is the genius of Stravinsky you can get away with anything.
Other than than these minor issues this was a tremendous concert and one that will stick in the memory for a long time.
The Firebird Suite is perhaps my least favorite of the three, after the double bass heavy opening it drags a bit through a lengthy messy pastoral section that seems too lack a thread. This perhaps loses something without the ballet to accompany it. It soon heats up though and the final 15 minutes is gripping. Stravinsky's ability to stay just on the right side of avant garde keeps you guessing without ever straying into the unlistenable. At one point trumpets appeared in the audience to answer the calls from the orchestra. Unfortunately their shuffling around was a bit off-putting, particularly as they parts were short enough that they surely could have memorised their parts rather than mess around with music stands on the balcony.
After a short interval it was straight into the amazing Petrouchka, another terrific piece punctuated all the way through by some eerie piano playing, right before Stravinsky launches the chaos of the finale. The Rite of Spring, one of Stravinsky's most infamous pieces of music, was left to last. Another gripping, edge of the seat piece that is enthralling from start to finish. The constant changes in tone, tune and volume keep you guessing all the way through to the very loud ground standing finish. It sounds as inventive and brilliant today as it did when it shocked audiences 100 years ago, a timeless piece. The tuba solo is worth the entry fee on its own.
The basses and percussion continue to be the bedrock of the orchestra, their ability to play at low volumes is impressive. The brass section is not as good as should be, there were the odd bum note and as a group they were loose at times. The highlight was the tuba player putting in a rarely seen and huge Tuba mute only to then play one note and the percussionist who dropped the tambourine on a table, it was difficult to tell whether this was a mistake or not, I guess that is the genius of Stravinsky you can get away with anything.
Other than than these minor issues this was a tremendous concert and one that will stick in the memory for a long time.
Comments