European Union Youth Orchestra plays The Rite of Spring at Concertgebouw

Of the young musicians who live in the EU, only the best of the best can be part of the European Union Youth Orchestra, according to the Deutsche Welle. The Guardian described the orchestra as having “gripping, exhilaratingly good orchestral playing, surging with energy, laser-sharp focus and collective daring... [with] a technical prowess that is downright terrifying”.

Combine this with Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and the result is an evening of excitement and musical power that will make you leave the Concertgebouw with a big grin on your face.

Stravinsky’s masterpiece, The Rite of Spring

The premiere of Igor Stravinksy’s The Rite of Spring (Le Sacre du Printemps) is perhaps the most notorious scandal in the history of music. The ballet and orchestral work was first performed by Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes at the Theatre du Champs-Élysées in Paris on May 29, 1913, and famously caused a riot. Many people in the audience were so outraged by Stravinsky’s avant-garde score - and Nijinsky’s choreography - that they thought it seemed like the work of a madman. 

A year later, when the score was performed in Paris as a concert piece for the first time, Stravinsky was carried on the shoulders of his fans in triumph and there were huge ovations. Although designed as a work for the stage commentators broadly agree that The Rite of Spring has had a greater impact in the concert hall.

The work is now widely regarded as one of the most influential musical works of the 20th century, a seminal work of modernism that boldly rejected the ordered harmonies and comfort of traditional composition. Leonard Bernstein described The Rite of Spring as, “The most important piece of music of the 20th century,” and one of the most influential musical works of that era.

Photo: Willemieke Frank

EUYO and one of the world's first-rate conductors

Italian guest conductor Gianandrea Noseda leads this top ensemble in this extraordinary work. Pianist Francesco Piemontesi will solo in Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. The concert will begin with the orchestra performing a new work by Hannah Kendall called Nexus.

Here's a summary of the concert programme:

• Kendall - Nexus
• Rachmaninoff - Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op. 43
• Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring

Get your tickets

Get your tickets online for European Union Youth Orchestra plays The Rite of Spring at Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and check out the Concertgebouw website for more information about the concert programme and the performers!

Thumb photo: Govert Driessen