Bridge ‘The Sea’ 

Chausson ‘Poeme de l’amour et de la mer’ 
    Soloist Emilien Hamel

Britten ‘Sea Interludes’  

Debussy ‘La Mer’ 

Our theme for this concert is the sea in all its moods. The ‘Sea Interludes’ and ‘La Mer’ are well known concert favourites and make attractive partners for Chausson’s evocative ‘Poème’ and Bridge’s orchestral suite, which Britten heard as a boy of 10 and was "knocked sideways" by what he heard. Bridge subsequently became Britten’s teacher and profoundly influenced his musical development.

 

Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1 
    Soloist Masa Tamaya

Prokofiev ‘Romeo and Juliet’ (Selection from suites 1 & 2)

Kabalevsky’s sparkling overture brilliantly captures the carefree moods of an exuberant hero in the mould of Till Eulenspeigel and Robin Hood. The Tchaikovsky concerto was famously rejected by its original dedicatee Nikolai Rubinstein as being worthless, unplayable and vulgar. How very wrong this has proved to be! Ever since its premiere in 1875 it has been overwhelmingly popular with audiences – and a challenge for pianists. Prokofiev’s celebrated ballet is so full of the most wonderful tunes and orchestral colour that it is a pity that time does not allow us to play it all, but only a generous selection.