For Leonard Bernstein, heart and soul were never far apart – and whether he was writing sacred music for an English cathedral or telling a story of love, death and gang warfare on the streets of New York, he gave it his all. His Chichester Psalms buzz with energy and joy; while his West Side Story dances kick, punch and leap their way from the gutter to the stars.
Two of the 20th century’s most heartfelt and thrillingly physical masterpieces frame Stravinsky’s extraordinary, haunting Symphony of Psalms – written for Bernstein’s great mentor Koussevitzky – and the magical Harp Concerto by the Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera, played tonight by the Principal Harp of the Berlin Philharmonic, in the week of what would have been his 100th birthday.
Journey Through Music, 6.30pm: An introduction to tonight's concert especially for families. Further details can be found at bbc.co.uk/philharmonic.