Of the four piano concertos Rachmaninoff wrote, which represent the late heyday of the romantic concerto, the Second is undoubtedly the most famous, but this Third (premiered in 1909) is considered the best, due to its expressive power that does not shy away from melancholy, its original themes and its brilliant instrumentation. Its pianistic demands make it one of the most difficult in the repertoire.

Stravinsky composed The Firebird in 1909 for the Ballets Russes, created by the magician Diaghilev, which marked an era in Europe. This early ballet shows influences from Rimsky-Korsakov, but already demonstrates a strong musical personality, such as a marked sense of rhythm and brilliant orchestral colouring. Based on Russian folk tales, the work presents a musical dissociation between the diatonicism with which it presents the characters of the real world and the chromaticism reserved for supernatural beings.

We will hear the suite that Stravinsky prepared in 1945. Following performances of The Rite of Spring and Petrushka in the previous season, with The Firebird the ROSS completes the cycle of Stravinsky's first and most famous ballets.

Juan Lamillar