Elgar’s magnificent orchestral showpiece is more than just a mere transcription of Bach’s mournful organ Fantasia. It slowly swells as more and more layers of orchestral colour are built up until the full-throttle climax. In his Violin Concerto, Sibelius opposes rather than meshes solo and orchestra in a succession of wonderful melodies until reaching a giddying climax of syncopated brilliance. At times dreamy and reflective and at others turbulent and darkly passionate, it is full of technical prowess – a deep and gritty orchestral exploration from darkness into light. The origins of the Bohemian hymn on which Suk based his Meditation can be traced back a thousand years. A work that pays homage to one of the most revered saints in Czech history, it is both heartfelt and nostalgic, interweaving Suk’s personal sense of patriotism with a deep spirituality. Using fragments of ancient Gregorian chant, Respighi’s symphonic suite Church Windows depicts four imagined religious scenes forever captured in stained-glass windows. His supreme orchestral mastery is on full show, shimmering with refracted, kaleidoscopic colour as light floods through.
Please note this concert is being livestreamed and some shots will include wide angle views of the audience.
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