CONCERT OF 19th MARCH

The Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons and Lang Lang present a two-concert cycle at the Philharmonie de Paris. The first part of this series, on 19 March, is devoted to Beethoven and Stravinsky.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra is one of the world’s leading symphonic ensembles. Under the baton of Andris Nelsons, appointed Music Director in 2014, the orchestra has strengthened its position at the forefront of the international scene, combining rigour with a powerful, highly expressive approach to the core repertoire. A sought-after conductor on the world’s major stages, Andris Nelsons is recognised for a conducting style that blends intensity and clarity. Alongside him, Lang Lang holds a central place the contemporary piano scene. His instantly recognisable virtuosity and strong stage presence have earned him both international acclaim and wide popularity. His commitment to Beethoven is part of a long-term artistic journey, as this project launches his complete cycle of the Beethoven piano concertos.

Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 unfolds like a three-part portrait of radiant vitality: the first movement builds towards a brilliant virtuosic cadenza, the second opens into a suspended, reflective meditation, before the finale bursts forth with unstoppable energy. This sense of momentum finds a shimmering counterpart in Stravinsky’s The Firebird. Commissioned by Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, this lush score was an immediate triumph that secured the composer’s reputation. Still rooted in the legacy of his mentor Rimsky-Korsakov, it already pushes orchestral colour and invention to extraordinary new heights, carrying the listener into a world on the edge of the marvellous.

–

CONCERT OF 20th MARCH

The Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons and Lang Lang continue their cycle at the Philharmonie de Paris with a second concert devoted to Beethoven and Stravinsky.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra stands among the world’s leading symphonic ensembles. Under the direction of Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons, the orchestra has developed a major artistic partnership, grounded in a broad and structured approach to the repertoire, allowing it to explore both the great classical architectures and the works of the twentieth century. Alongside him, Lang Lang continues his complete cycle of Beethoven piano concertos with the American orchestra, confirming his close affinity with the composer’s universe.

Composed in 1795 at the dawn of his sonata cycle, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 is in fact his first concerto. Long underestimated, including by the composer himself, this affable score, still marked by a Mozartian spirit, deserves a more generous listening.

In contrast, Stravinsky’s Petrushka and The Rite of Spring bring together two landmark moments in twentieth-century orchestral modernism. Written for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, these two scores introduce a language of radical rhythmic intensity and dramatic force. The Rite of Spring emerges as a barbaric and incandescent ritual, a visceral exaltation of rhythm and a celebration of primitive forces. Its modernity remains as fierce, its power to shock as intact, as on that turbulent day in 1913 when its premiere provoked one of the greatest scandals in music history.

A second concert that extends the dialogue between classical heritage and modernity, led by three major figures of the international music scene.

OTHER SHOWS