Programme

J Ritchie Papanui Road Concert Overture   
de Falla Nights in the Gardens of Spain     
Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major  
Stravinsky Suite from The Firebird (1945 version)

Spanish pianist Javier Perianes, able to “make the piano sing and glitter with alert, polished brilliance” (Sydney Morning Herald), joins us for two virtuoso masterworks. Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G explores both Ravel’s Spanish Basque roots and the enlivening rhythms of jazz, while de Falla’s portrait of Andalusian Spain is darker, dramatic, and seductive. Meanwhile, Stravinsky’s Firebird conjures images of the magical glowing bird of Russian myth, but John Ritchie brings us back to earth with the clanging tramcar bell and 1950s hustle of Christchurch’s Papanui Road.

Leading our tour of these pictorial works is Winner of the Finnish critics’ prize 2021 for the Best Newcomer in the Arts, Emilia Hoving. “Hoving is a conductor on the rise, and for good reason. She has a highly precise, refined and inventive conducting technique that combines airy breathability with power” (Turku Sanomat).