Kent Nagano conducts Debussy, Saint-Saëns, and Stravinsky – With Jean-Yves Thibaudet

Paris, 1913. A groundbreaking year in the history of music and modern dance, with two visionary works commissioned by Serge de Diaghilev, founder of the Ballets Russes: Debussy’s Jeux and Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. For the opening of the Théâtre du Châtelet, Debussy's Jeux are received with a certain lack of understanding, primarily because of a choreography that was considered too mechanical in comparison to its music's poetic subtlety. Just two weeks later, Stravinsky's new ballet was given its premiere in a performance that caused a veritable scandal, with the audience whistling and booing during the music. Now a beloved part of the classical music canon, The Rite of Spring has totally surpassed the Jeux in appreciation and renown. Yet critics agree that the extremely refined and complex work had an important influence on contemporary music. In this concert, the two works are performed together, a truly complementary pairing that highlights both ballets' extraordinary modernity.

©Andrew Eccles