Stravinsky: Petrushka | Gulbenkian Orchestra & Leo Hussain (Lisbon 2018)

World-famous burlesque: Igor Stravinsky’s Petrushka (1947 version) is performed by the Gulbenkian Orchestra conducted by Leo Hussain. This orchestral classic was performed at a concert at the Pianomania! festival in the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s grand auditorium in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon in 2018.

Here's the whole concert:    • Pianomania! With Menahem Pressler | Leo Hu...  

Igor Stravinsky (1882 - 1971) was one of the most multi-faceted and influential composers of the 20th century. Born in Russia, Stravinsky later moved to France and then to the USA. His three ballet scores “The Firebird”, “Petrushka” and “Le sacre du printemps” are among the most famous of their kind.

Stravinsky originally wanted to compose a pure concert piece in which the piano would play a prominent role. But, according to the composer, while writing the notes he kept having the idea of a manikin and its fate. And so it became the ballet music “Petrushka”. The ballet from 1911 is based on a Russian fairy tale, the setting of which is at a fair. The narrative levels between fairground visitors and the characters of a puppet show performed there are intermingled. In modern times, the racist aspects of the ballet’s plot have been heavily criticized.

Stravinsky repeatedly reworked the music to “Petrushka”. In addition to versions for pianos, an orchestral suite was created from the ballet music in 1946. The “Petrushka Suite” is still one of the most popular concert pieces ever. The work, described by Stravinsky as a burlesque, is rich in abrupt changes of the most varied types of movement, so that one can easily imagine dancing marionettes. The parts are composed in a collage-like manner and borrow strongly from Russian folklore.

(00:00) First tableau
(10:40) Second tableau
(15:01) Third tableau
(21:29) Forth tableau

A EuroArts Music production
In coproduction with ZDF and RTP
In collaboration with arte concert
© EuroArts 2018

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