麻豆社

In the vast space of the Royal Albert Hall, Manchester-born Jonathan Scott sits alone at the 70-foot-tall Henry Willis organ 鈥� an instrument Scott describes as 鈥榦ne of the greatest concert organs in the entire world鈥�. Here he exploits the full possibilities of the musical beast鈥檚 four manuals, 147 stops and 9,997 pipes, to bring to life his own symphonic arrangements of colourful orchestral classics.

Scott鈥檚 selection opens with the overture to Rossini鈥檚 The Thieving Magpie, its famous snare drum exchanged for bellowing pedals. (Scott鈥檚 footwork has been said to put Gene Kelly to shame.)

After the serene, reflective Intermezzo from Mascagni鈥檚 opera Cavalleria rusticana comes Dukas鈥檚 mischievous trainee wizard, whose attempt to make light work of filling a cauldron with pails of water backfires, resulting in a rising tide of chaos. The concert鈥檚 climax is the 鈥極rgan鈥� Symphony by Saint-Sa毛ns, commissioned by London鈥檚 Philharmonic Society and first performed at St James鈥檚 Hall, Piccadilly, a couple of miles from the Royal Albert Hall. With Scott taking on the roles of both solo organist and orchestra, it鈥檚 a fitting tribute to the French composer, who was himself among the first to play the Royal Albert Hall鈥檚 mighty organ when it was completed in 1871.

It will not be possible to have an audience at the Royal Albert Hall.

Live on 麻豆社 Radio 3 & live-streamed to 麻豆社 iPlayer

Image: Jonathan Scott