Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) betrays Schoenberg’s love of Brahms in its intricate textures and interwoven lines; it is an ecstatically sensual evocation of new love transcending the burden of old sin. It took Brahms more than twenty years to approach the challenge of his first symphony – it was no “laughing matter” to write a symphony after Beethoven! – incorporating ideas and innovations that moved symphonic writing forward. Opening with dramatic intensity, it gives way to peace and serenity; the finale has been described as “one of the sublimest utterances human ears have heard” – its hymn-like theme commuted into a glorious and magnificent conclusion.

The concert will be available to view on demand for 30 days after the orginal performance until 7.30pm (GMT) on Friday 28 May 2021.

The concert livestream will be accessible behind a paywall as an embedded Vimeo video stream. It is best to watch through an up-to-date browser (we recommend Google Chrome on a PC and Safari on an Apple device). You can then connect to your TV or HIFI via a cable connection. An Amazon Firestick is also compatible using the Amazon Silk browser direct on a TV as well as most default browsers on SMART TVs.