Concertgebouworkest: Prokofjev-festijn met Iván Fischer

Ivan Fischer and Prokofiev

The enormous versatility of Sergei Prokofiev is only experienced when you hear different works side by side. This concert by the Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by honorary guest conductor Iván Fischer is a wonderful opportunity.

Nelson Goerner

The Overture on Hebrew Themes is friendly, playful and folkloristic. The Second Piano Concerto , on the other hand, contains all the shock effects that made Prokofiev famous. It is music like a vile fairy tale, but also a missing link between Rachmaninoff and the brutal 'machine music' of the twenties. Due to the extreme pianistic style, it is rarely heard live; Nelson Goerner is one of the few who dares to do so. A performance by the Argentinian pianist is always an impressive event.

Cinderella

With the ballet Cinderella (based on Perrault's Cendrillon ), Prokofiev proved himself a worthy successor to Tchaikovsky – and even 'the new waltz king', as a Russian reviewer wrote at the time. It is performed less often than Prokofiev's earlier ballet Romeo and Juliet , but it has the same captivating mix of elegance, whimsicality and wonderful orchestral colours. According to Prokofiev himself, it contained the best passages he had ever written.