Unquestionably, music has the power to inspire and bring forth the full range of human emotion, often taking us on a journey within the space and time of one piece or even a single phrase. The works on this program certainly provide some dramatic contrasts, but at their heart, there is always an oasis of lyrical calm and exquisite beauty; this is music where we can reflect in reverie, be composed and collected. The serenity of Brahms’St. Anthony Variations is complimented by Strauss’ iconic Horn Concerto No. 1, and we are thrilled to welcome to the stage the LSO’s Principal Horn, the wonderful Anne-MarieCherry as our guest artist for this work.
Borodin’s Symphony No. 2 is a great example of that rich and fulfilling emotional journey – from the profound, powerful and declamatory drama of the first movement, we are led into the playful light of the second movement’s scherzo, then to that poignantly lyrical oasis of composure in the third movement, and finally to surely one of the most brilliant and energetic finales in the world of the symphony. How so much is contained in just a thirty-minute composition speaks to the unparalleled quality of music as an expression of human creativity.
