Stravinsky Suite Italienne 

Stravinsky is a name that scares off many people, maybe thinking Rite of Spring, or The Firebird with lots of dissonance and it’s not for them. Which is not just a shame (both those pieces are incredible experiences with a full orchestra in a concert hall) but simply wrong. Stravinsky was not just an exceptional composer - the greatest of the twentieth century? - but wide-ranging and versatile, composing in many styles during his life and perfectly capable of writing beautiful melodies.

The Suite Italienne uses music from his short ballet Pulcinella (composed 1930) which he rearranged two years later for piano and cello. The piece has five movements and in the second, serenata, Stravinsky uses the “siciliana” form popular during the Baroque period with a minor key and a gentle rhythm.