大象传媒

Live from the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea.

Presented by Catherine Bott.

The 大象传媒 National Orchestra of Wales makes its annual appearance at the Swansea Festival with music from Russia and France under the baton of Principal Conductor Thierry Fischer.

Debussy's score for the Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian is considered one of his finest late works. The original play by the Romantic author Gabriele d'Annunzio, lasted over five hours at the first production, and Debussy's shimmering music is intensely dramatic, full of impressionist colours. He arranged four symphonic fragments for concert performance from this mammoth spectacle, lasting just 25 minutes. Ravel's piano concerto in G requires spectacular agility. It's infused with jazz - Ravel had just returned from a concert tour in North America - but it's also inspired by Mozart, the composer claimed his model for the haunting tune in the slow movement was the Clarinet Quintet. Steven Osborne is highly regarded for his performances of Ravel, he's just released the complete works for solo piano on CD.

Mussorgsky's Night on the Bare Mountain is a terrifying musical picture of devilry, as a band of witches awaits the arrival of their master - Satan. In this concert we hear Rimsky Korsakov's full-blooded orchestration. Another Russian folk tale, Stravinsky's Firebird closes the concert. Blazing orchestral colour abounds in this dramatic concert suite.

Debussy: Le martyre de Saint Sebastien - fragments symphoniques.
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G.

20:25 - Interval

20:45 - Part Two
Mussorgsky: Night on the Bare Mountain (arr. Rimsky-Korsakov)
Stravinsky: Firebird Suite (1919).

Steven Osborne (piano), Thierry Fischer (conductor).