Tempesta di Mare’s March 8 program is a groundbreaking event for us as we make our debut at Broad Street’s cultural hub, The Kimmel Center, to present Apollo at Play, music for the theater from Lully to Stravinsky.
Igor Stravinsky
“Stravinsky!?”
Yes. You read that right: Stravinsky, the 20th century Russian musical revolutionary. How, you might ask, does the Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra find itself programming one of the giants of 20th century modern music alongside the music of 17th-century France?
We asked one of our Artistic Directors, Richard Stone, that same question:
“It’s a tribute by Stravinsky to Lullian form and gesture, opening with a baroque-style “French” overture. Our March program is about Lully and his influence across borders and across time,” Stone says, “so adding this lucious piece for strings felt completely right for our 21st century ears.”
Our March program is about Lully and his influence across borders and across time,” Stone says, “so adding this lucious piece for strings felt completely right for our 21st century ears.”
“This music is Stravinsky’s interpretation of baroque notation as understood in 1927, then filtered through the prism of cubism.” Tempesta will then take that process one step further, says Stone, “I want us to do the same thing, except to filter Stravinsky’s cubist neo-baroque through our baroque-performer lenses. It’s one of my favorite pieces ever, and I’ve never heard it performed by a baroque ensemble. I can’t wait.”
The piece already has strong ties to the US: commissioned by the Library of Congress, it was Balanchine, the beloved choreographer, who created the original ballet for the premiere.
For tickets to Tempesta di Mare’s March 8 program, Apollo at Play, at the Kimmel Center’s Perelman Theater please click the button below.
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