Please note that pianist Horacio Gutierrez had to withdraw from these performances due to illness. He will be replaced by Valentina Lisitsa. This will be Lisitsa’s debut performances with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The repertoire on the program will remain the same. Please click on the following link for more information on Valentina Lisitsa: http://www.cami.com/?webid=281
The Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 is one of the most beloved piano works with its grand sweeping gestures and unforgettable melodies. Composer of the Year, Richard Danielpour was inspired to compose Rocking the Cradle by recent international events. The Rite of Spring was composed as ballet music by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, depicting the pagan ritual of sacrificing a young woman to hasten the onset of spring. Now considered one of the most influential works of the 20th Century, this dramatic piece caused a scandal at the 1913 premiere in Paris with its angular, innovative and driving rhythms.
Why was Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring so shocking at the premiere? Stravinsky's innovative and distinctive work was considered outrageous in 1913, yet it is still appreciated for its originality today. Discover the building blocks behind the music of The Rite of Spring at Heinz Hall. Learn about the scandalous premiere and the Slavic pagan Russian rituals, as well as how other cultures celebrate and welcome Spring.
