Brahms's Piano Concertos...and a rare Britten cantata
Our 23/24 season sees us begin a series of concerts exploring the piano concertos of Johannes Brahms and we welcome back to the orchestra our great pianist friend and collaborator, Daniel Browell. Daniel has performed all of Beethoven's piano concertos with us and I'm delighted that we are finally able to make good on a distant promise between us that he would return one day to do the same with Brahms's. In our January 2024 concert we will be performing the colossal first concerto, beginning as it does with an audacious thunderclap on the timpani and a stormy orchestral introduction. In September 2024, Daniel will return to perform the more refined, but no less epic, second concerto. We will be pairing the Brahms concertos with Sibelius symphonies as we begin exploring yet another Nordic composer's symphonies, after the success of our Nielsen mini-series.
Speaking of epic, in November 2023 we will be joined by a talented choir and tenor soloist for a rare outing for Britten's St Nicolas cantata. It features a string orchestra, two pianos, an organ and a host of percussion instruments! Our very own principal cellist, Lee Armstrong, will be conducting this fascinating work alongside some familiar English string music.
In May 2024, our own super-talented principal hornist, Claire Burnell, will be performing Richard Strauss's second horn concerto. Strauss knew how to thrill an audience with this most heroic of instruments and his second concerto is an absolute showcase for it. Hold on to your hats!
We hope you enjoy the music!
Peter Marks
Music Director