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The 'Rite' stuff: NMPhil celebrates groundbreaking Russian works with music by Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff
Pianist Anna Dmytrenko will perform with the New Mexico Philharmonic on Saturday, April 20. Courtesy of
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Russian dance music will soar across the stage of Popejoy Hall on Saturday, April 20.
The New Mexico Philharmonic will celebrate the ballets of Sergei Prokofiev and Igor Stravinsky, with a detour into the romance of Sergei Rachmaninoff.
The concert will open with highlights from Prokofiev鈥檚 鈥淪cythian Suite,鈥� written for and rejected by Sergei Diaghilev, founder of the Ballets Russes. Prokofiev rewrote the piece as a suite for a concert performance.
After Stravinsky debuted his revolutionary 鈥淭he Rite of Spring,鈥� the competitive Prokofiev was determined to write something equally groundbreaking and striking.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really fantastic and just as wild,鈥� said Roberto Minczuk, conductor and artistic director.
In 1913, Stravinsky premiered 鈥淭he Rite of Spring鈥� as a ballet for Diaghilev with more than 100 musicians. Its avant-garde nature of the music and choreography caused a sensation.
鈥淗e created music that had never been heard before,鈥� Minczuk said. 鈥淗e turned the entire orchestra into a percussion section.
鈥淚t was too dissonant. It was too loud. It was so primitive. The subject was a ritual in which a virgin was sacrificed every spring.鈥�
Pablo Picasso designed the sets; the great ballet star Vaslav Nijinsky served as choreographer.
The music鈥檚 percussive rhythms and violent score enraged its first listeners. Used for a ballet performance in Paris, 鈥淭he Rite of Spring鈥� caused a riot and became one of the most famous scandals in music history.
The piece opens with the sound of a single bassoon playing a high line.
鈥淚t鈥檚 almost painful,鈥� Minczuk said. 鈥淚t sounds like pain; like someone鈥檚 about to give birth.鈥�
Today, 鈥淭he Rite of Spring鈥� is widely considered one of the most influential musical works of the 20th century.
Rachmaninoff bridges these two modernists with his 鈥淩hapsody on a Theme of Paganini,鈥� written for piano and orchestra. Anna Dmytrenko, 2016 Olga Kern International Piano Competition second-prize winner, will join the orchestra.
鈥淩achmaninoff is the youngest of the three composers, but his music is more traditional,鈥� Minczuk said. 鈥淗e loved romantic music. He created this Hollywood sound. That鈥檚 why his music is used in so many movies. 鈥榁ariation 18鈥� is one of the most recognizable melodies in all music literature.鈥�
The 鈥淩hapsody鈥� was used in 鈥淪omewhere in Time鈥� (1980), 鈥淒ead Again鈥� (1991) and in 鈥淕roundhog Day鈥� (1993).
