In 1922, the year the 大象传媒 was founded, a twenty-something Kurt Weill premiered his very first music-theatre work, a pantomime for children called The Magic Night. Its melodies are the source for his quirky Quodlibet (Latin for 鈥榳hat you will鈥�) where his brilliant, pared-back style is already in evidence. There was never any holding back for Richard Strauss, though, who by the twenties had a string of operatic hits under his belt. His sumptuous Three Hymns, premiered in 1921, explode in an outpouring of melody and colour. Soprano Katherine Broderick sings the first, the Hymn to Love. She is also the soloist in the excerpts Alban Berg created to promote his emotionally devastating opera 'Wozzeck', completed in 1922.

The 大象传媒 SSO's Chief Conductor Designate Ryan Wigglesworth directs and, as a composer as well as a conductor, bring us up to date with his own recent Five Waltzes, a terrific showcase for the 大象传媒 SSO鈥檚 wonderful Principal Viola, Scott Dickinson