The New World Symphony will be performing Stravinsky’s Pétrouchka with Michael Tilson Thomas this Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Here is some more information on this event from the NWS website:

On Sunday, April 29 at 4:30PM EDT, the New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy, will webcast a performance Igor Stravinsky’s Pétrouchka live from the Lincoln Theatre on Miami Beach. Introduced and conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, this free, audio-visual webcast is part of the New World Symphony’s ongoing efforts to make its presentations accessible to a wide array of listeners.

Originally written for the Ballets Russes in 1911 and revised in 1947, Stravinsky’s Pétrouchka is a masterpiece of the orchestral repertoire. Sandwiched between the resounding popularity of The Firebird and the controversial premiere of The Rite of Spring, Pétrouchka depicts the story of a straw puppet that comes to life. Stravinsky explicitly designed the music’s rhythmic eccentricities and dissonant harmonies to unsettle the audience. Writing in the 1960s, he insisted, “I had conceived of the music in two keys…as Pétrouchka’s insult to the public, and wanted the dialogue for trumpets in two keys at the end to show that his ghost was still insulting the public.” It was an insult the public could tolerate with some enthusiasm. The ballet proved to be an even greater success than The Firebird and has since become a staple of the orchestral repertoire.

Follow this link to listen to the New World Symphony live.

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