Lyricism and Drama

Experience a dramatic evening of symphonic lyricism with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra at the Lighthouse, Poole on Wednesday 28 April. Chief Conductor Mark Wigglesworth leads this epic concert, featuring soloist Sunwook Kim who performs Brahms Second Piano Concerto.

On the completion of his mature Second Piano Concerto, Brahms announced his “ever so tiny piano concerto with an ever so tiny and dainty scherzo.” Its four movements combine to create one of the grandest piano concertos of the 19th century, with the music expressing a Classical lyricism and Romantic sense of drama in perfect harmony with each other.

In a melange of foxtrots and waltzes, sometimes flirtatiously raunchy, sometimes delicate and mysterious, Adès elegantly combines his own personal style and clever instrumentation with characteristic features from cabaret, tango, and popular music. The suite, using music from his opera on the scandal surrounding Sixties socialite, Margaret Campbell, is rich, playful, dramatic, and expressive.

Schumann poetically captured Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony’s relationship to its neighbours when he called it “a slender Grecian maiden between two Nordic giants”. It is certainly lighter in tone, but it is far from lightweight. In terms of economy and tightly coiled energy, it is every bit the equal of its counterparts.

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Mark Wigglesworth - Conductor
Sunwook Kim - Piano

Works and composers:
Brahms - Piano Concerto No.2
Adès - Three-piece Suite from Powder Her Face
Beethoven - Symphony No.4

This concert is part of an ongoing series on Wednesday evenings at Lighthouse, Poole. Multibuy discounts are on offer for all concerts booked through the BSO Box Office – so the more you visit, the more you save! They will also be streaming 18 Digital Concerts this season so check out their What’s On page on bsolive.com, to see which concerts you can watch from the comfort of your own home.

This concert is part of the BSO’s Beethoven Cycle ‘Road to Joy’, which marks the bicentenary of Beethoven’s death in March 1827. Celebrating each of the symphonies in turn with an 18-month project, a timeless and timely opportunity to engage in what Beethoven means to us today. This journey also includes a series of special Immersion Days, featuring performances, discussions and debate with some exciting special guests!