In Living Colour: Stravinsky’s Petrushka

Strong emotions and primary colours, as Kevin John Edusei conducts high-octane musical dramas from Stravinsky, Bartók and Canadian composer Samy Moussa. It’s springtime in old Russia, and as the fair-goers jostle and laugh, a puppeteer retells a tale of love, jealousy … and murder. Don’t worry, though: they’re only puppets. Aren’t they? There’s more to music than meets the ear, even when it’s as playful as Stravinsky’s riotous ballet, or as passionate as Bartók’s paprika-flavoured Second Violin Concerto. And especially when – like Samy Moussa’s Crimson – it’s creating wondrous new sounds, straight out of thin air. Guest conductor Kevin John Edusei is making an impact here in the UK: an artist who (according to The Guardian) delivers ‘tasteful restraint and explosive energy’ with the same effortless flair. He’s joined for Bartók’s Second Violin Concerto by one of our in-house stars, LSO Leader Roman Simovic.