大象传媒

Two of today's most exciting musicians, conductor Jakub Hr暖拧a and pianist and Martin Helmchen, join forces with the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Is there a more thrilling concert opener than Richard Strauss's Don Juan? With his second tone poem the 24-year-old Strauss immediately established himself as one of the most brilliant and progressive composers of his day and gave orchestras and conductors an electrifying showpiece which has never lost its dazzling appeal. Late 1785: Mozart is at the height of his popularity in Vienna when he writes three of his greatest piano concertos, a genre in which he had no equal. No 22 was the first of them: bravura first and last movements flank a theme-and-variations Andante (which its first audience encored) and Mozart clearly enjoys his big orchestra, revelling in brass fanfares and the most wonderful woodwind writing. The concert ends with Beethoven at his most unbuttoned. His ebullient Fourth Symphony is full of sly tricks and playful humour, a test for orchestra and conductor, even today.

Recorded yesterday at the Royal Festival Hall and presented by Martin Handley.

Strauss: Don Juan, Op 20
Mozart: Piano Concerto No 22 in E flat major, K482

8.35pm
Interval music (from CD)
Josef Suk: Piano Quartet in A Minor, Op 1: ii. Adagio
Martin Helmchen (piano)
Antje Weithaas (violin)
Vicki Powell (viola)
Maximilian Hornung (cello)

8.45pm
Beethoven: Symphony No 4 in B Flat major, Op 60

Martin Helmchen (piano)
Philharmonia Orchestra
Jakub Hr暖拧a (conductor)