Work of the Week – Igor Stravinsky: Concerto en ré

It's not just the rollercoasters that pirouette here: From 14 August 2024, the New York City Ballet will be making a guest appearance at Copenhagen's Tivoli. Together with the Sjællands Symfoniorkester, Igor Stravinsky's Concerto en ré will be performed in the Tivoli Concert Hall.

The production marks the end of the New York City Ballet's 75th anniversary tour and is a tribute to its long-time choreographer and co-founder George Balanchine. His choreography of Concerto en ré is one of the most famous by Balanchine and the entire company.

Concerto en ré by Igor Stravinsky: A Caricaturistic Concert

Originally, Stravinsky almost had to be pressurised into writing a violin concerto, but in the end he explored compositional possibilities for the instrument and at the same time took aim at the genre of the violin concerto as such. It is a classic, full of sarcasm and exaggeration. 

Stravinsky said that this is a piece that should reek of violin. (Kolja Balcher, violinist)

Yet the work doesn't actually need any choreography to thrill audiences worldwide. The Concerto en ré can be heard in concert on 22 August 2024 in Los Angeles, on 27 October 2024 in Brussels and on 2 November 2024 in Hamburg.

Further Reading:

Igor Stravinsky: Composer Profile

Concerto en ré: Work Details and Online Score

Website Copenhagen Tivoli