Rite of Spring, Sibelius 2 and Dumbarton Oaks

The Rite of Spring is one of the most groundbreaking works in orchestral music. Written for the 1913 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, Stravinsky’s score exploded onto the cultural scene with music that felt raw, elemental and utterly new.
 

Its premiere at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées on 29 May 1913 has gone down in history as one of music’s most infamous evenings. The startling rhythms, bold harmonies and unorthodox choreography stunned the audience, leading to a legendary reaction often described as a “riot”. Yet from that moment, a new musical era had begun.
 

Over a century later, The Rite of Spring remains thrillingly modern, a visceral journey through ritual, nature and human instinct, and a testament to Stravinsky’s visionary imagination.

Sibelius’s Second Symphony is one of the most beloved works in the orchestral repertoire, a sweeping, heartfelt journey that moves from quiet contemplation to radiant triumph. Written in 1901–02 during a period of personal reflection and patriotic inspiration, the symphony has often been associated with Finland’s national awakening and its aspirations for independence.
 

The music unfolds with a deeply organic sense of growth: gentle motifs bloom into rich orchestral textures, shimmering strings give way to powerful brass chorales, and moments of brooding darkness ultimately burst into one of the most uplifting finales in symphonic music.
 

Sibelius once described his task as “creating a world,” and in this symphony he invites us into a landscape that feels both deeply human and vast as nature itself, full of warmth, struggle and an unforgettable sense of hope.

Commissioned for a Washington-based chamber ensemble and premiered in 1938 at the Dumbarton Oaks estate, Stravinsky’s Dumbarton Oaks Concerto is a sparkling tribute to the Baroque concerto tradition, particularly the joyful, energetic music of J.S. Bach.
 

Written for a small ensemble, the piece bubbles with rhythmic vitality, bright colours and playful counterpoint. Its three concise movements are full of charm, invention and wit, showing Stravinsky in a lighter, more neoclassical mood than the dramatic sound world of The Rite of Spring.
 

Elegant yet spirited, Dumbarton Oaks feels like a musical conversation, intimate, graceful and delightfully alive.