A River, A Queen, A Firebird

Following on from our sold-out concert in February, the last of our “Stage and Screen” series of concerts showcases works deeply embedded in dramatic storytelling by three masters of Russian music: Modest Mussorgsky, Sergei Prokofiev, and Igor Stravinsky.

Modest Mussorgsky: Dawn on the Moscow River (Prelude to Khovanshchina)

Modest Mussorgsky (1839–1881) was committed to creating a uniquely Russian musical identity, favouring folk idioms and simple lyrical beauty over more intellectual approaches.

Dawn on the Moscow River is the prelude to Mussorgsky’s final opera, Khovanshchina (The Khovansky Affair). The opera delves into a turbulent period of Russian history. It tells the story of the struggle between old and new Russia, focusing on the rebellion of Prince Ivan Khovansky against the westernising reforms of Tsar Pete.

The musical beauty of Dawn on the Moscow River stands in stark contrast to the vicious political strife depicted in the opera’s narrative.

Sergei Prokofiev: The Queen of Spades (arranged by Michael Berkeley)

Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953) composed The Queen of Spades in 1936 as a film score. The film, to be based on Alexander Pushkin’s short story, was scheduled for release in 1937 to mark the centenary of Pushkin’s death. However, due to tightening censorship, it was never completed. Prokofiev, however, found ways to reuse the music, integrating themes into the third movement of his Fifth Symphony and Piano Sonata No. 8.

The version performed tonight is an arrangement by Michael Berkeley created for Kim Brandstrup’s ballet Rushes, which premiered at London’s Covent Garden.

Igor Stravinsky: Music for the ballet The Firebird

Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) is one of the 20th century’s most important and influential composers, and it is his ballet The Firebird that catapulted him to international fame.

The impresario Sergei Diaghilev commissioned The Firebird for the Ballets Russes’ 1910 Paris season. The premiere on June 25, 1910, was a resounding success, with some hailing Stravinsky as the “legitimate heir to The Mighty Handful”. After this success, Diaghilev continued to commission Stravinsky, resulting in two other iconic collaborations: Petrushka (1911) and The Rite of Spring (1913).

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Conductor: Philip Ellis

Since winning the Leeds Conductors’ Competition in 1991, Philip Ellis has worked throughout the UK conducting many concerts with the Philharmonia, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Hallé, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, London Mozart Players, English Chamber Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, Northern Sinfonia and over 400 concerts with English Sinfonia. He is a passionate supporter of Music Education and has worked with amateur orchestras, youth and community groups throughout his career.

He made his international debut with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, leading to engagements with Hong Kong Philharmonic, Netherlands Radio Symphony, Belgian National Orchestra, Flanders Symphony, St Petersburg Philharmonic, National Orchestra of Mexico, Western Australian Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, Würtembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, Neue Philharmonie Westfallen and many broadcast concerts with the BRTN Philharmonic (Brussels) for radio and television.

Philip Ellis conducts extensively for dance. As conductor for Birmingham Royal Ballet 1989-2025, he conducted over 2000 performances and as guest-conducts for international ballet companies La Scala Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, The Australian Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Mikhailovsky Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Hong Kong Ballet, Tokyo Ballet, Korean National Ballet, Rome Opera Ballet, The Royal Ballet and Gothenburg Ballet.

He has recorded CDs with the Philharmonia - Copland orchestral works and a series of Concert Classics discs with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Contemporary Clarinet Concertos with Emma Johnson and Tchaikovsky with Dimitri Ferschtman, recorded live from the Concertgebouw Hall, Amsterdam.

In his free time, he is a keen artist, working in a wide range media. A selection of his work can be seen on his website www.philipellisconductor.com and on instagram @philellisart.