Stravinsky & Mendelssohn

STRAVINSKY & MENDELSSOHN
Portraits of Italy

The NZSO, with conductor James Judd, bring some Italian delights to cities and towns across Te Ika-a-Māui.

Before our Italian sojourn begins, we travel to the deep south of Aotearoa New Zealand with Anthony Ritchie’s Whakatipua, a musical portrait of the awe-inspiring landscapes around Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown.

Stravinsky’s Pulcinella suite brings to life the famed (and very naughty) puppet Punch, a comical character of early Italian Theatre. Based on his own 1920 ballet of the same name, the Pulcinella suite is a feast of catchy neo-Baroque dance tunes.

Finally, Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony was inspired by the composer’s travels across Italy in 1830. Mendelssohn himself declared the symphony as “the jolliest piece I have ever done.” Cheerful and toe-tapping, this work will leave you bathing in Italian sunshine.