On the programme for this one-hour show are four pieces by British composers who were inspired by the elegant beauty of the Italian Baroque and the messy romanticism of 19th-century France.  

Concert Highlights

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• Three pieces by 20th-century British composers inspired by string music from 18th-century Italy.
• A soloist renowned for his performances of Benjamin Britten’s music
• One of the most loved pieces by one of the world’s best loved composers.

 

Music

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Ralph Vaughan Williams Concerto Grosso
Benjamin Britten Les illuminations
Karl Jenkins Palladio for Strings
Edward Elgar Introduction and Allegro for String

Performers

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Peter Manning conductor
Robin Tritschler tenor

About the Music

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Ralph Vaughan Williams Concerto Grosso (14 minutes)
Lush strings create a mysterious, epic musical landscape that sounds like it could be the soundtrack for the next must-see TV fantasy series.

Benjamin Britten Les Illuminations (20 minutes)
French poet Arthur Rimbaud embodied the tortured, opiate-addled artist. His transgressive, surrealist writing has inspired countless musicians including Bob Dylan, Patti Smith and English composer Benjamin Britten, who transformed nine of Rimbaud’s poems into this set of songs that range from joyfully frivolous to deeply introspective.

Karl Jenkins Allegretto from Palladio for Strings (4 minutes)
Hear one of the most-loved pieces by one of the world’s most-performed composers. Inspired by the harmony and order of Antonio Palladio’s perfectly proportioned Italian villas, this piece will captivate you with its thrilling drama.

Edward Elgar Introduction and Allegro for Strings (14 minutes)
With its arresting opening and soulful, folk-like melody, this piece of music was inspired by the sound of a choir carrying on the wind during a blustery walk along the Welsh coast. You’ll be able to feel a song in your heart and the wind in your hair.