After a sombre opening, the overture to Mozart’s most enduring opera skips off in a gleeful, fugal allegro and is notable for the brilliant use of counterpoint and dynamic contrasts. More of a suite than a concerto, Václav Trojan’s Fairy Tales is full of appealing and catchy melodies. The seven short movements each describe a fairy-tale character, such as the sleeping princess, the charming prince and the evil dragon. Thomas de Hartmann’s charming vignettes also delve into the rich heritage of folklore. Having read Dante’s epic poem The Divine Comedy, an episode from the Inferno section fired Tchaikovsky’s imagination: the tale of Francesca, a young woman from Rimini who has been condemned to eternal damnation because of an illicit love affair. After an unsettling introduction, he vividly depicts the driving winds of Hell before the music dies away to a whisper and a pathetic theme on solo clarinet launches Francesca’s tale before building in a long crescendo of passion.

Please note this concert is being livestreamed and some shots will include wide angle views of the audience.