Smetana’s joyous overture from The Bartered Bride is at the heart of what comic opera is all about: drama, thrills and bold character. Folk-like elements and rich orchestrations bring it to life, making it one of the most exciting overtures ever composed. Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto is an exuberant and passionate work filled with uninhibited virtuosity. The dramatic and lengthy first movement is based on the menacing-sounding Ukrainian folk tune titled Song of the Blind and is filled with extensive technical passages made up of lush chord sequences and scales. The finale is also based on a folk tune – a combination of hymn-like solemnity and more technical wizardry. The Second Symphony might be described as Brahms’ ‘Pastoral’ – a total contrast to the dramatic and very serious First. Its song-like melodies are imbued with a gentle and lyrical quality – in their simple beauty the themes give the impression of having been written down as a result of spontaneous inspiration. In Brahms’ own words, “a delightfully happy spirit” pervades the whole work.

Works and composers

Smetana The Bartered Bride Overture
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1
Brahms Symphony No.2