Smetana Overture: ‘The Bartered Bride’ 

Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto 
    Soloist Anna-Liisa Bezrodny

Shostakovich Symphony No. 15 

Smetana’s Bartered Bride overture is sheer orchestral effervescence - with a Slavic twist. Tchaikovsky’s eloquent violin concerto features prizewinning violinist Anna-Liisa Bezrodny on her Amati violin. The second half consists of one of Shostakovich’s quirky masterpieces, his 15th symphony. Side-swiped excerpts from William Tell in the first movement, evocative violin and cello solos and ghostly brass chorales in the second, plus a sardonic scherzo, are superseded by a finale echoing some of the most stirring moments from Wagner’s Ring and a sense of utter completion.

Márquez Danzón No.2 

Casals arr Brown ‘Song of the Birds’ 
    Soloist Alice McVeigh

Debussy ‘Ibéria’ from ‘Images’ 

De Falla ‘Nights in the Garden of Spain’ 
    Soloist Catherine Borner

Ravel ‘Boléro’ 

Sexy, sassy and Latin American, Márquez’s Danzón No. 2 is followed by a Spanish folk miniature for solo cello and orchestra. Then we get into the meat of the concert. Debussy’s ‘Ibéria’ – impressionistic and evocative – reminds us of his comment: ‘Music is as boundless as the elements, the wind, the sky, the sea... ’ De Falla himself acknowledged Debussy’s achievement: ‘the intoxicating spell of Andalusian nights, the joyous strains of guitars and bandurrias, whirls in the air!’ De Falla’s own Nights in the Gardens of Spain follows (‘the most tragic and sorrowful of his works, expressing an intimate and passionate drama.’) Catherine Borner's piano solos are woven within a flamboyant orchestral texture. We conclude with Ravel’s iconic Boléro – by far his most famous work.(At its premiere, a woman furiously objected that Ravel must be mad. Ravel’s comment? ‘She has understood the piece!’) A barn-storming finale!

A good quality video of this concert exists (all 5 pieces, no announcements, 74 minutes approx), recorded in high definition using three cameras and edited by Chris Beston. DVDs (standard definition, £8) and Blu-ray discs (high definition, £12) are for sale in the foyer on concert days or can be ordered through our contact page.

Schumann: Symphony No. 2, Op. 61 

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde 
    Soloists Janice Watson and John Upperton 

Schumann’s affirmatory Second Symphony precedes Mahler’s orient-inspired masterpiece, in which international artists Janice Watson and John Upperton take us on a journey from heroic energy through autumnal lament to a gloriously existential farewell.

Berlioz: Overture ‘King Lear’ Op. 4 

Debussy: Danse sacrée et Danse profane 
    Harp soloist Elizabeth Scorah

Ravel: ‘Daphnis et Chloé’ Ballet 

Our French first concert opens with Berlioz’ mercurial and richly programmatic King Lear. Harpist Elizabeth Scorah features in Debussy’s dreamily evocative Danse sacrée et Danse profane, followed by Ravel’s masterpiece of which he wrote: ‘Sumptuous and subtle, I have created the Greece of my dreams.’