The serenity of massed strings, the brilliance and verve of a solo violinist, and the passion of a Russian Romantic writing for full orchestra. Hear it all!
In what's possibly his most popular creation, Ralph Vaughan Williams eavesdrops on an Elizabethan world of stained-glass beauty, conjuring up the atmosphere of an English cathedral.
Thomas Adès also nods to the past in his violin concerto, although the result has the dazzling verve of a contemporary voice renowned for its energy and imagination. The music journeys through perpetual motion to a fierce Baroque lament and on to the playful finale - the soloist spiralling above a contemporary dance beat.
Tchaikovsky's impassioned Sixth Symphony runs a gamut of emotions. There's the confidence of the first movement - thirsty for life, there's malevolence and false triumph, and the haunting mood of the finale. This is music in which to hear the Sydney Symphony in all its elegance, brilliance and power.
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
ADÈS Violin Concerto - Concentric Paths
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No.6, Pathétique
David Robertson conductor
Anthony Marwood violin
AUDIO PLAYER LISTING
Track 1 - VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis
Academy of St Martin in the Fields directed by Sir Neville Marriner
DECCA ELOQUENCE 442 8341
Track 2 - TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No.6, Pathétique: I Adagio
Track 3 - TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No.6, Pathétique: II Allegro con grazia
Track 4 - TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No.6, Pathétique: IV Finale
Russian National Orchestra conducted by Mikhail Pletnev
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 477 8699
Audio kindly supplied by Silver Partner Universal Music