大象传媒

The Ulster Orchestra's music director, Daniele Rustioni, joins them to conduct their season finale in a programme celebrating Italy, with music by Berlioz, Elgar and Respighi.

Opening the concert, the British violist Timothy Ridout joins the orchestra as soloist in Berlioz's symphonic work "Harold in Italy" in which the soloist takes on the role of, in the composer's words, a 'melancholy dreamer' who moves through each of the orchestral scenes. Then in Elgar's "In the South", we see the composer inspired by his surroundings during a holiday to Alassio in Northern Italy around 1903. The overture, which has also been seen by many as a tone poem, was dedicated to his friend Leo F. Schuster and premiered by the Hall茅 Orchestra in 1904 conducted by the composer.

To finish the concert, Respighi's "Pines of Rome" explores some of the city's most famous and evocative landmarks. Premiered in 1924, the suite is the second in a series of works known as the 'Roman Trilogy'- the other two works being "Fountains and Rome" and "Roman Festivals". Of the music, the composer himself wrote that he used, "...nature as a point of departure, to recall memories and visions."

Interval: Backstage Pass
In the first in a new series, celebrated violinist Tasmin Little meets members of 大象传媒 Radio 3鈥檚 New Generation Artists scheme for a game of musical ping-pong - exchanging thoughts and stories about the music, the excitements and occasional trials and tribulations of what it means to be a musician today. Tasmin鈥檚 guest tonight is British viola player Timothy Ridout, recent graduate of the NGA scheme and already a major player on the international stage.

Berlioz- Harold in Italy
Elgar- In the South
Respighi- Pines of Rome

Ulster Orchestra
Timothy Ridout, viola
Daniele Rustioni, conductor

Presented by John Toal