Translate
Welcome to this fabulous excursion through a lexicon of fairy tales as crafted so expertly by Igor Stravinsky.
‘In his 1935 autobiography, Chroniques de ma vie, Igor Stravinsky famously said, “Music is, by its very nature, essentially powerless to express anything at all.” Exactly what he meant by that has been the subject of endless debate among musicians, but the ironic fact is that Stravinsky spent his entire career telling stories through music. From his ballets to his operas, from his oratorios to his songs, he used music to bring classic tales to life, expressing emotions through musical means – even when those means were complex, challenging, and not always understood.’
– Frank K. DeWald
Igor STRAVINSKY (1882–1971)
Fairy Tales
Song of the Nightingale
The Faun and the Shepherdess *
Divertimento • Pulcinella Suite
Susan Platts, Mezzo-soprano *Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
JoAnn Falletta
Igor Stravinsky is renowned for his legacy of glittering fairy tales in treasured favourites such as Petrushka and The Firebird. Another favourite is the ballet Pulcinella, a lovable melange of Baroque theatricality, heard here in its concert suite form. The other works in this programme are surprisingly less known: the luminous and symphonic Song of the Nightingale, and The Fairy’s Kiss based on Tchaikovsky’s music, are both derived from stories by Hans Christian Andersen. An astonishing rarity, The Faun and the Shepherdess is an ancient Greek tale that was Stravinsky’s romantically sensual gift to his young bride.
Introduction: Presto
Mezzo-soprano Susan Platts is recognised internationally for her richly expressive voice and commanding musical presence. A former protégé of Jessye Norman, she worked closely with the legendary soprano for over a decade. Susan is particularly acclaimed for her interpretations of Gustav Mahler’s works, including more than ninety performances of his Second Symphony and numerous performances of his Third and Eighth Symphonies, Das Lied von der Erde, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Rückert-Lieder and Kinder-totenlieder, with major orchestras across Europe, North America and Asia.
Multiple GRAMMY-winning conductor JoAnn Falletta serves as music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and music director laureate of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. She has guest-conducted many of the most prominent orchestras in America, Canada, Europe, Asia and South America. On her appointment as music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic, she became the first woman to lead a major American orchestra. JoAnn is the recipient of many of the most prestigious conducting awards and was named Performance Today’s Classical Woman of the Year and one of the 50 great conductors of all time by Gramophone magazine.
Founded in 1935, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) is Buffalo’s leading cultural ambassador, presenting more than 120 classics, pops and youth concerts each year. In 2022, the orchestra made its 25th appearance at Carnegie Hall, celebrating the life and works of former BPO music director Lukas Foss. During the tenure of JoAnn Falletta, the BPO has rekindled its distinguished history of radio broadcasts and recordings, including the release of over 65 albums of diverse repertoire on the Naxos and Beau Fleuve Records labels.
– Fanfare
![DANIELPOUR, R.: Passion of Yeshua (The) [Oratorio]](https://cdn.naxos.com/sharedfiles/images/cds/hires/8.559885-86.jpg "DANIELPOUR, R.: Passion of Yeshua (The) [Oratorio]")
The Passion of Yeshua
Plitmann • Worth • Overton
Bridges • Fallon • Bass
Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra
Falletta
– American Record Guide
Mr. Tambourine Man:
Seven Poems of Bob Dylan
Three Hallucinations (from Altered States)
Plitmann
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
Falletta
– Fanfare
Piano Concerto ‘Spiritualist’
Poems of Life • Glacier • Rush
Biegel • Cohen • Sparr • McAllister
London Symphony Orchestra
Falletta
– BBC Music Magazine ★★★★