Dutoit “L’Oiseau de Feu” & Pletnev with “Rach 3”

It is ‘his’ work: if it is Stravinsky’s ‘The Firebird’, then it has to be Charles Dutoit. It is his ‘signature piece’. He has been conducting this dazzling, irresistible fairy-tale ballet for decades; conducting it like nobody else, unfolding its musical fairy magic in inimitable style. And every time, we listeners are blown away again, stunned by Maestro Charles Dutoit’s inimitable artistic skill. This is Stravinsky at first hand – a unique musical experience. The same applies to Pletnev and Rachmaninoff: two Russians, two like-minded souls. The Third Piano Concerto vividly demonstrates the extraordinary pianistic skills Rachmaninoff must have possessed: ever since, it has been regarded as one of the most difficult piano concertos ever written. Its combination of lyrical cantabile, colourful sound development and breathtaking virtuosity is perfect. The work is also suffused with a typically Russian nostalgic longing.

It is his ‘signature piece’: Stravinsky’s ‘Firebird’. Charles Dutoit has been unrivalled in his conducting of this dazzling work for decades – Stravinsky at first hand.