Igor Stravinsky’s Concerto in D (or Re in the French version) for string orchestra was commissioned by Paul Sacher, head of the Basel Chamber Orchestra, and it received its premi?re at a concert held on the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the orchestra in early 1947. The title suggests it is essentially tonal music based on the note “d”. However, Stravinsky deliberately leaves open the question of whether it is in the major or minor key, and the point is that the music should hesitate between the two. The tough, energetic-sounding main theme is offset by a smoother, undulating, delicate “second theme” (if the former were to be associated with the dance of the men, the latter would definitely be the swaying of girls). These two rule the first movement. The B-flat-major slow middle movement (this time clearly in the major key!) is reminiscent to a piece of incidental ballet music Stravinsky had composed in 1928, the Apollo musag?te evocative of the idyllic world of ancient beauty, and in doing so, of Tchaikovsky’s music which Stravinsky held in great esteem. The finale is energetic and swift music.