Søndergård Conducts The Rite Of Spring

Immerse yourself in an orchestral experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat as Thomas Søndergård conducts Stravinsky’s groundbreaking and radical ballet score The Rite of Spring. Lili Boulanger’s Of a Spring Morning brings a sweet, playful beginning to this program that truly puts the entire ensemble at the center. In between, and also orchestrated for dance, Ravel’s Mother Goose ballet includes five tender and nostalgic miniatures inspired by fairy tales.

A Few Things to Know

1. Thomas Søndergård began his music career at the age of 8, studying percussion. He joined the Royal Danish Orchestra as a timpanist until changing career paths to become a conductor at age 27.
2. Of a Spring Morning was the final work created by French composer Lili Boulanger before she died tragically at the age of 24.
3. Maurice Ravel was known to have had an extensive collection of toys, music boxes, figurines and other small collectibles. His love of whimsical storytelling is apparent in Mother Goose.
4. Stravinsky’s music for The Rite of Spring broke all the rules of traditional classical compositions, especially for use on the ballet stage. Initially rife with controversy, his music calls for an enormous orchestra which he pushes to the extremes of range, volume and rhythmic complexity.