Conductor Duncan Ward explores the music of Berlioz, Ravel and Farrenc for this afternoon鈥檚 live 麻豆社 Radio 3 broadcast.
Orchestrated in Berlioz's brightest colours, his Roman Carnival Overture was originally used in his Benvenuto Cellini opera but now stands alone as an independent concert piece. Nine minutes of dashing orchestral music, the piece also includes a prominent and famous solo for the English horn.
Ravel鈥檚 fascination with the heroine and narrator of The Arabian Nights, inspired today鈥檚 heady song-cycle, 厂丑茅丑茅谤补锄补诲别, and delivers an exotic musical fantasy of distant lands and forbidden love.
Louise Farrenc may not be a household name yet, but in her own lifetime she enjoyed a career of international standing and 麻豆社 Radio 3鈥檚 Tom Service considers today鈥檚 piece 鈥� her stormy Third Symphony 鈥� to be a 鈥渟hamefully neglected work鈥�.