Seattle Symphony - Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4

The US Premiere of Pascal Dusapin's 'At Swim-Two-Birds'

Ludvico Morlot and the Seattle Symphony continue to break new ground with an exciting US premiere, bookended by rousing renditions of Debussy's Petite Suite and Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony. Demonstrating the powerful bond between composer and instrumentalist, Russian violin virtuoso Viktoria Mullova and English cello superstar Matthew Barley perform an exciting new double concerto entitled 'At Swim-Two-Birds', written specifically for them by contemporary French composer Pascal Dusapin, a master of energy, tension, release and microtonality.

Arguably some of Debussy's most enchanting compositions, Petite Suite is a vibrant display of the impressionist icon's sublime idiomatic piano writing. A four-movement work for four hands, the suite glides from exquisite melodies to elfin pipes and horns to evoke a serene sailing scene and an energetic ballet. The evening closes with Tchaikovsky's towering Fourth Symphony, a triumph over the writer's block that plagued him after the failure of his marriage. Balancing heartrending moments of melancholy and joyful optimism, the piece concludes in a stirring and frenzied finale of rushing scales and rich orchestral texture.