Resonance Ensemble - Rebellious Russians

Resonance Ensemble and conductor Tony Ryan the final concert of 2024. 

The concert opens with Stravinsky’s Suite No. 2, with four movements full of humour, imagination and flair, with infectious rhythmic drive and the composer’s characteristic instinct for dramatic timing.

Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2, written in 1957 as a nineteenth birthday present for his son Maxim, is one of the composer’s most cheerful, delightful and melodic works. Young Christchurch pianist Gabriel Baird joins the orchestra for this hugely enjoyable piece.

Borodin’s orchestral tone poem In the Steppes of Central Asia is wonderfully atmospheric. The music combines a characteristically Russian theme with an Oriental-style melody depicting the varied Western and Asian parts of this vast country.

Shostakovich's wonderfully uplifting Jazz Suite No. 2, is another special feature of this concert. If the Jazz Suite’s marches, waltzes and dances don’t fully conform to our accepted idea of jazz, they are sheer joy from start to finish.  Some of the movements have become well-known through their use in films and TV, and every piece will have your toes tapping and your heart pumping. 

Another uniquely imaginative and innovative programme, full of appeal, to end the Resonance Ensemble's 2024 season.