Very seldom does the opportunity come along to immerse one’s self in the life and work of a major American composer; to indulge in the private and public face of a complicated and somewhat tortured individual. The Stravinsky Project presented by Strathmore and the Post-Classical Ensemble has already celebrated the Russian identity of Igor Stravinsky through film, concert, visual art, and educational experiences. And they have saved the best for Sunday, taking place in both the Mansion and the Concert Hall at Strathmore.
| Onstage |
| The Stravinsky Project |
| Where: The Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda |
| When: 12 p.m., Sunday |
| Info: $35; $20 for concert only at 4 p.m.; 301-581-5100; strathmore.org/stravinskyproject |
“Stravinsky is often considered the most important 20th century composer who we’ve had an opportunity to completely reinterpret,” said Stravinsky scholar and program host, Joseph Horowitz. “He exiled [himself] from Russia and after leaving, he decided he wanted nothing to do with it. I call this the psychology of exile.”
Visitors to the lecture, recital and exhibition in the Mansion from 12 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. will experience Katya Chilingiri’s art exhibition titled A Stravinsky Odyssey and the American premier of Los Noces for the pianola mechanical piano, performed by Rex Lawson. According to Horowitz, it takes about three years to learn how to play the pianola and there are only three people in the world — one being Lawson — who are trained to it.
“Here is an intimate opportunity for [people] to mingle and chat with the participating artists, filmmakers, photographers, pianists and Stravinsky scholars,” Horowitz continued.
Visitors will learn that the refined esthetic we assign to Stravinsky’s work is, according to Horowitz, “… a reaction to having to make a new homeland for himself and finding a new identity in the United States.”
At 4 p.m., the visitors will become the audience as they head to a program that highlights three Russian pianists, Alexander Toradze, George Vatchnadze and Grenadi Zagor. The comprehensive repertoire includes “The Rite of Spring,” arranged for two pianos, Stravinsky’s Piano Sonata and Grenadi Zagor’s brilliant piano improvisation incorporating all of the afternoon’s music. There will also be a free post-concert discussion with the artists.
“The [day] will be a very enriching experience, very immersive [and] with a singular focus on this specific period in time,” said Shelley Brown, artistic director at Strathmore
