Obsidian Tear, Wayne McGregor’s latest work for the Royal Ballet, choreographed to music by Esa-Pekka Salonen opens at the Royal Opera House, London, at the end of May.
In Obsidian Tear McGregor crafts the solitary despair of Salonen’s Lachen verlernt for solo violin and the nihilistic grandeur of his 2011 symphonic poem Nyx into a visceral exploration of myth and modernity.
It premieres on May 28 for a run of six performances. Salonen will conduct the first three nights, making this his debut with the Royal Ballet.
Morphed
Salonen’s music recently inspired Finnish choreographer Tero Saarinen in
Morphed, which toured extensively during 2015. This critically acclaimed work, featuring
Concert étude, the Violin Concerto and
Foreign Bodies, will be performed at the Jyväskylä City Theatre in Finland as part of the Tanssin Aika Festival on September 23.
Stravinsky: Myths & Rituals
Salonen and the Philharmonia lead a journey of discovery through Stravinsky’s music, from the early Russian ballets to the late, great works of the American years in
Stravinsky: Myths & Rituals.
The series, based in and around London’s Southbank Centre, runs from May to September 2016 and includes five major orchestral concerts, dance and opera performances, chamber concerts, film screenings, and several in-depth study days as well as an
Stravinsky: Myths & Rituals. The series enables audiences to access and explore Stravinsky’s story from all angles and contextualise his extraordinary life within an equally extraordinary century.
All performances will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and available on BBC iPlayer for 30 days.
The music of Igor Stravinsky has been an essential part of my life for well over 30 years. A true genius, Stravinsky is an icon of 20th century art. His extraordinarily international life – in Russia, Paris and the United States – and the sheer breadth of music he created over many decades, make Stravinsky a unique, and truly modern, figure. Through our themes of Rituals, Tales, Faith, Myths and Tragedy, we will explore the many dimensions of a man who shaped – and was shaped by – the kaleidoscope of the twentieth century. Esa Pekka Salonen
Included in the festival are performances of two Stravinsky works using editions from
The Chester Stravinsky Edition series –
Renard and
Les Noces. Produced rapidly and probably without the cooperation of the composer, the original editions of both contained many inaccuracies that have led to repeated queries by performers, published lists of errata, not always in accordance with the composer’s autograph and even suppositions about the composer’s true intentions. These recent publications in The Chester Stravinsky Edition should lay to rest uncertainties about Stravinsky’s intentions. The pieces will be performed in the ‘Tales’ concert on May 26.
