It’s an all-Russian program with Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and Rachmaninoff with the brilliant young pianist Beatrice Rana. Listen to a re-broadcast of this 2019 concert on Thursday, April 23rd at 7 PM on WRTI HD-2 and on Friday, April 24th at 1 PM on WRTI 90.1 FM. All broadcasts are streamed online at WRTI.org and on your smart speaker.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts this concert of works from the three renowned Russians, all in their early years, beginnning with an almost-forgotten Stravinsky work, Funeral Song. Stravinsky himself called this short work the best of his compositions before Firebird, which it somewhat resembles. Written for a memorial concert honoring his beloved teacher Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1909, it’s performed for the first time ever by the Philadelphians.
Pianist Beatrice Rana’s Carnegie Hall debut was this past March, and at only 26 years of age, she has performed at the world’s most esteemed concert halls and festivals, and collaborated with conductors of the highest level, including Yannick, Riccardo Chailly, Antonio Pappano, Fabio Luisi, Yuri Temirkanov, Gianandrea Noseda, Trevor Pinnock, Leonard Slatkin, and Zubin Mehta, among others.
In her Philadelphia Orchestra subscription debut, Ms. Rana plays Prokofiev’s three-movement Concerto No. 3, which combines the lyricism at which he so excelled, and thrilling virtuosity, most notably in the dazzling codas to each movement.
Following intermission, it’s another performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff's First Symphony. The 22-year-old Rachmaninoff was devastated by the failure of its first performance, leaving the hall before it ended, and even giving up composing for a time, but over the years it has become a Rachmaninoff favorite!
During intermission, WRTI’s Susan Lewis speaks backstage with Beatrice Rana and Yannick.
PROGRAM:
Stravinsky – Funeral Song
Prokofiev – Piano Concerto No. 3
Beatrice Rana, piano
INTERMISSION
Rachmaninoff – Symphony No. 1
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Yannick Nézét-Séguin, conductor
Gregg Whiteside is producer and host of the Philadelphia Orchestra in Concert broadcasts, every Sunday at 1 pm on WRTI 90.1, streaming online at WRTI.org, and on our mobile app!Listen again on Mondays at 7 pm on WRTI HD-2.
And now until June, 2020: Listen to a weekly schedule of re-broadcast of additional archival Philadelphia Orchestra concerts. Each program airs Thursday at 7 PM on WRTI HD-2 and streaming online, and again on Friday at 1 PM on WRTI 90.1, and our classical stream.
