Philharmonia Orchestra

This evening’s programme pairs two of Bartók’s most important works with one of the seminal musical icons of the 20th century. Cantata profana is a truly monumental choral work, rarely performed due to the sheer scale of its vocal and orchestral writing. Based on a Romanian ballad sung at the time of the winter solstice, it tells the story of nine sons who are turned into stags when they cross a haunted bridge while out hunting. By contrast with this rich tapestry of choral sound, the Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta is sparse, eerie and other-worldly, using rhythmic power rather than melody to communicate its themes. The same rhythmic intensity, albeit a far more primal version, could also be said to characterise The Rite of Spring; Stravinsky’s ballets had a major influence on Bartók’s compositional style.