Charles Dutoit conductor
Janine Jansen violin

Ravel Suite, Mother Goose
Beethoven Violin Concerto
Stravinsky The Rite of Spring

Despite the controversial riots it sparked at its première in 1913, Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring is now one of the most iconic and seminal works of the 20th century. Depicting scenes of paganism and sacrifice, his use of asymmetrical rhythms and adventurous harmonies serve to heighten the energy and tension of the work. Despite featuring one of his most inspired melodies in the exquisite adagio, Beethoven’s Violin Concerto was also not a great success at its première in 1806. However since its revival in the 1840s by legendary violinist Joseph Joachim, under the baton of Felix Mendelssohn, it has become one of the most important works in the repertoire.

6.15pm Pre-concert talk
Professor Jonathan Cross from Christ Church College, Oxford, and author of The Stravinsky Legacy introduces The Rite of Spring.
FREE admission

‘This concert was a dream ticket, conducted by Charles Dutoit, the master of orchestral balance and refinement.’ Leicester Mercury on Dutoit and the Philharmonia Orchestra, October 2007