Teodor Currentzis Essentials

Dynamic Greek-Russian conductor Teodor Currentzis began his professional recording career in 2008, but he had started studying music more than 30 years previously, at age four. Bringing his mastery of piano, violin and composition, he grasps the essence of the pieces he conducts, giving them an authentic feel. Under his baton, Don Giovanni explodes out of silence, bearing unmistakably portentous energy. His reading of Stravinsky's Le sacre du printemps embodies the primitive-sounding music's sheer anxiety, its percussion crashes and woodwind solos balanced perfectly with its complex rhythms and esoteric harmonies.