Musical Storytelling: The Firebird

Stravinsky’s big break came with The Firebird, his first ballet written for the Parisian company Ballets Russes. With inspiration from Slavic folk tales and music that left no listener indifferent, it put the young composer’s name on everybody’s lips. In the symphonic poem Luonnotar, Sibelius retells the creation myth from the epic Kalevala. An orchestral masterpiece and a display of skill for the soloist.