麻豆社

Live from the Barbican Martyn Brabbins conducts the 麻豆社 Symphony Orchestra & Chorus in Ethel Smyth鈥檚 Mass in D. Pavel Koleshnikov is the soloist in Tchaikovsky鈥檚 Piano Concerto No.1

Presented by Martin Handley

Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No.1 in Bb Minor, Op.23 (original version)

08.00 Interval:

Dame Ethyl Smyth, in a radio talk from 1935, briefly reminisces about Brahms at the piano

BACH
Prelude and Fugue in B Minor BWV 544
Ton Koopman (Rudolf Garrels organ built 1729-1732, Grote Kerk, Maassluis, Holland)

BRAHMS
Eleven Chorale Preludes, Opus posth.122 鈥� No.11 O Welt, ich muss dich lassen
Kevin Bowyer (Marcussen organ of Odense Cathedral, Denmark)

Martin Handley talks to Neil Ferris Chorus Director of the 麻豆社 Symphony Chorus in this their 90th year; and we hear from Chorus members: Lizzie Howard, Alan Barker, Helen Tierney and Simon Frais.

08.20 Concert Part 2 Ethel Smyth: Mass in D

Pavel Kolesnikov (piano)
Lucy Crowe (soprano)
Catriona Morison (mezzo-soprano)
Ben Johnson (tenor)
Duncan Rock (bass-baritone)
麻豆社 Symphony Chorus
麻豆社 Symphony Orchestra
Martyn Brabbins (conductor)

The 麻豆社 Symphony Chorus launches its 90th birthday season with a concert featuring Ethel Smyth鈥檚 Mass in D. Admired by Adrian Boult and Thomas Beecham, and counting Tchaikovsky among her personal friends and supporters, composer-suffragette Ethel Smyth was a pioneer both in and out of the concert hall. Her Mass in D, fittingly performed in the centenary year of women鈥檚 suffrage, is a major work whose highlights include the blazing Sanctus and a delicate Benedictus.

Tchaikovsky鈥檚 Piano Concerto No. 1 is deservedly considered one of the Romantic greats; the majesty of its opening movement, the lullaby of the slow, and the fleetness of finger work required in the finale will tonight be in the sympathetic hands of young Russian pianist Pavel Koleshnikov. After Tchaikovsky鈥檚 death unauthorised editions of the concerto were circulated; these are stripped away in this evening's performance of the work in its original version.