Johan de Meij

Suite No. 2 from 'Romeo and Juliet' is a shining hallmark of Sergei Prokofiev's legacy in classical music and the arts. Among the three suites the Russian composer and pianist penned for his most famous ballet, the second is undoubtedly the better known. After all, even the most unattentive of listeners prick up their ears to the bold and menacing opening theme, which captures the essence of Shakespeare's feuding families, the Montagues and the Capulets. Here, the suite is revisited by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, masterfully led by Prokofiev’s fellow countryman Yuri Temirkanov in the beautiful Konserthuset Stockholm.

The Rite of Spring signals a radical departure from the conventional form and musical language present in Stravinsky's previous ballets - 1910's 'The Firebird' and 1911's 'Petrushka'. Here, the composer implements a considerable range of revolutionary compositional techniques, from complex polyrhythms and abrupt metre changes to percussive instrumentation and violently primal depictions of pagan rituals. Though practically unbound in its audacity, the work remains an important milestone of its time; an impressive challenge to traditional musical form.

Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 was major work that shaped his enduring perspective on the splendor of the afterlife and rebirth, while striving to depict nothing less than the entire universe: the lofty and the humble, tradition and avant-garde, pastoral serenity and demonic grotesques, songs and chorales, and death and resurrection, all expressed in music that is correspondingly multifarious and grandiose.

Following the success of 'West Side Story', Leonard Bernstein arranged the musical’s ‘Symphonic Dances’ into a suite, as seen here performed by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra during their 2022 season opening (with conductor Alain Altinoglu at the helm). Hearing the lively suite is enough to take us back to the grimy, yet charming cityscape of Bernstein’s Upper West Side. ‘Dances’ serves to this day as a symbol of Bernstein’s talent as a conductor, arranger, and storyteller - as, over sixty years later, the energy and drama of the original production remains electrifying, both on and off the stage.

John Williams' now-iconic brass motif is synonymous with George Lucas' space saga Star Wars, and serves as a stark reminder to never give into the dark side. Here, the composer himself leads a feverish performance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic from within the lavish auditorium of the Walt Disney Concert Hall.