In the first concert of their exciting series Stravinsky: Myth and Ritual celebrating the varied musical inspirations of this most iconic figure of 20th-century composers, the focus was on Rituals – and what a thrilling way to open this important retrospective. Over the past few decades performances of Stravinsky’s music have declined, with only the three early ballets, The Firebird, Petrushka and The Rite of Spring appearing regularly in orchestra programmes. In this series of concerts the Philharmonia is performing a wide range of his most original works, many of which that now rarely get an outing.
The first part of this concert was a case in point. How often do you hear the once hugely influential Symphonies of Wind Instruments or his 1950s ballet Agon? In this performance the two works, separated by over 30 years, were merged into one with the interesting effect of showing how consistent Stravinsky remained in his approach to harmony, rhythm and orchestration. The beautifully sculpted discords in the Symphonies of Wind Instrument were wonderfully brought to life here, with Esa-Pekka Salonen insisting on a finely tuned balancing of timbres and razor sharp rhythms. You could almost picture Stravinsky picking out the acid chords on his rickety piano.
Towards the end of the piece, dancers appeared in the wings of the stage and as the music merged seamlessly into the music for Agon they then emerged onto a stage above the orchestra. And what a good idea it was to have this piece danced, so immersed was the composer in the spirit of dance by this time in his career that the music becomes almost subservient to it and can seem a little dull on its own. Choreographed by Karole Armitage and danced by her group, Armitage Gone! Dance, the abstract movements and forms were sensitively presented. The music was shaped with ideal rhythmic precision, its final dances, written a few years later using the twelve tone technique being particularly vibrant.