A miracle of a symphony, a dream of a flute
concerto, and Wagner madness.
Without Ludwig II of Bavaria there'd be no fairytale castle of
Neuschwanstein; we wouldn't have the famous opera house in Bayreuth
or quite as many Wagner operas. Was Ludwig mad? Certainly he was
mad about Wagner's music. So in this Wagner 200th anniversary year
we play an orchestral fanfare inspired by Ludwig's story and themes
from The Ring operas. Original Wagner follows with music
from The Mastersingers of Nuremberg and the
rip-roaring Ride of the Valkyries - 'Hojotoho!'
Before madness comes classical equilibrium. In his 'Miracle'
Symphony, Haydn surpassed himself, delighting his London audience
with the brilliant sounds of trumpets and drums, and the rich
variety of his ideas.
Lowell Liebermann has found his own way to please audiences, in
music bursting with optimism and hummable melodies. A 'flautist's
dream composer'? James Galway thought so when he commissioned this
luminous concerto.
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