Seasonal elements celebrated in NZSO’s Rite of Spring tour

Seasonal elements celebrated in NZSO’s Rite of Spring tour

The orchestral work that sparked a riot at its world premiere features in the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra’s (NZSO) national tour to four main centres next month.

The NZSO will play Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, which was originally written as a ballet. The crowd threw vegetables and other objects at the orchestra during the Paris premiere in 1913 in protest against the ‘avant-garde’ nature of the music and choreography. However, today the piece receives rave reviews and is widely considered one of the most influential musical works of the 20th century.

Swedish cellist Jakob Koranyi, who has firmly established himself as one of Europe’s most interesting young soloists, will play William Walton’s Cello Concerto. This piece has been described as “subdued, brittle, lyrical, bittersweet, ruminative and introspective”. Acclaimed for his commanding virtuosity and described by The Strad magazine as ‘a force to be reckoned with’, Koranyi has toured Europe extensively, performing in recital and as a soloist.

Ralph Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending, featuring the lyrical violin of the NZSO’s own concertmaster Vesa-Matti Leppänen, will open the concert. This work, evocative of the song of the lark and the lush green fields of England, has been chosen as Britain’s all-time favourite classical piece for several years running, and was ranked second in a 2011 radio poll of New Yorkers for preferences of music to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The Rite of Spring concert tour will be conducted by Spaniard Jaime Martín, who has risen quickly to international acclaim as a conductor following a prominent career as a flautist.

Rite of Spring tours to Wellington, Dunedin, Christchurch and Auckland.

ENDS

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