An Englishman in New York: Benjamin Britten wrote his violin concerto on the eve of war, and finished it on the far side of the Atlantic. Six decades on, at the turn of the Millennium, Thomas Adès saw a more sombre vision of America.
Soloists James Ehnes and Susan Bickley share both power and insight in these two dark masterpieces: thought-provoking contrasts to Dvořák’s exuberant Carnival Overture, and another perspective on the America celebrated by Leonard Bernstein.
Then - with three mighty chords and a great, sweeping melody - Juanjo Mena clears the air. Brahms’s Third Symphony is as bracing and as refreshing as a summer storm but there’s tenderness too, before the clouds part for one of the loveliest sunsets in all music.
Preview, 6.30pm: Students and invited guests discuss the expression of personal identity in music, in a debate hosted by Michael Symmons Roberts.