Belgrade Philharmonic to perform discovered Stravinsky piece

The news about the discovery and reconstruction of The Funeral Song, a lost composition by Igor Stravinsky, caused a sensation worldwide. After more than a century, the composition was brought to light, and orchestras throughout the world began rushing to include it in their repertoires before the start of the concert season.

The Belgrade Philharmonic is one of the select few orchestras to be given an exclusive right to perform the piece in 2017, along with the Berlin Philharmonic, the National Orchestra of France, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The Belgrade Philharmonic is the only orchestra from Southeast Europe to receive this exclusive right. The Funeral Song will open the concert to be held on December 8, 2017, on which occasion the orchestra will be conducted by Hans Graf.

This is one of Igor Stravinsky's early works, composed in memory of composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, his teacher. It was performed in 1909, and was later believed to have been lost during the Russian Revolution. Stravinsky, however, believed that it still existed somewhere among old manuscripts in St Petersburg. This turned out to be true in 2015, when musicologist Natalya Braginskaya rediscovered The Funeral Song. The reconstructed piece was performed by the Mariinsky Theater Orchestra, conducted by Valery Gergiev, in December 2016 in St Petersburg.

Beogradska filharmonija

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Igor Stravinsky

The Funeral Song

Belgrade Philharmonic

National Orchestra of France

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Hans Graf

Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov

Russian Revolution

St Petersburg

Natalya Braginskaya

Mariinsky Theater

Valery Gergiev