Göteborgs Konserthus The Playful Joy of Stravinsky

Enjoy humour and adventure as members of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra play chamber music. A soldier marches towards a princess, the xylophone rings out next to the trombone. Music by Stravinsky, Beethoven and Christian Lindberg. 

Igor Stravinsky had just fled Russia to settle down beside Lake Geneva. With him, he brought folktales, including one about a soldier who plays cards with the devil. Ragtime was the latest craze on the dancefloor around World War I, and it was everywhere. The young soldier’s walk with a violin in his bag is illustrated through virtuosic playing and strutting rhythms. 

Trombone player Christian Lindberg is often considered the best in the world, and his brilliant composition for trombone and percussion exemplifies his humorous music. Gradually, we reach Beethoven’s Septet, which became so popular that the composer was able to live on income from the piece for two years. 

A century ago, pianist Teresa Carreño from Venezuela lived an exciting life as an artist and composer, and toured Europe regularly. In 1908, she performed at the Gothenburg Concert Hall on Heden, playing Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto – conducted by Wilhelm Stenhammar himself. Now we hear one of her compositions arranged by the Symphony Orchestra’s violinist Emirzeth Henriquez. 

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