The orchestra goes to the theatre with music by Mozart, Copland and Richard Strauss.
This concert springs from the world of the theatre: an atmospheric miniature by Copland sits between ambitious ballet music by Mozart and a witty suite inspired by Molière.
In his music for Molière's play Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, Richard Strauss pokes merciless fun at the "Would-be Gentleman" of the title - you can hear the clumsy attempts at dancing, the gauche attire, and possibly the most extravagantly over-catered feast in all music. It's the perfect musical picture of this self-made man: rich, ambitious but clueless.
Copland provides contrast with atmospheric miniature composed for a play about a young trumpet player. The play was dropped but the expressive and reflective soundscape survives as one of Copland's most beautiful creations.
And for Mozart fans, we begin with a grand ballet sequence from his dramatic opera Idomeneo.
MOZART Idomeneo: Ballet music
COPLAND Quiet City
R STRAUSS Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme: Suite
Nicholas Carter conductor
Pre-concert talk by David Garrett at 6.15pm in the first floor reception room.
AUDIO PLAYER LISTING
Track 1 - MOZART Idomeneo Ballet Music: Chaconne
The Academy of Ancient Music directed by Christopher Hogwood
DECCA 452 604-2
Track 2 - R STRAUSS Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme: III Fencing Master
Friedrich Guld (piano), Willi Boskovsky (violin), Emanuel Brabec (cello) with the
Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Lorin Maazel
DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 0404
Audio kindly supplied by Silver Partner Universal Music