Bristol Concert Orchestra: Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique at St Mary Redcliffe Church, Bristol on Saturday 30th June 2018

Please note: This concert is in the past and has already taken place.

Bristol Concert Orchestra: Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique

Add to my Calendar 30-06-2018 19:30 30-06-2018 21:30 36 Bristol Concert Orchestra: Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique This concert of two halves opens with Stokowski's string arrangement of Purcell's heartrending Dido's Lament ('When I am Laid in Earth'), providing an incredibly effective prelude to Vaughan Williams' empassioned plea for peace Dona nobis pacem (written after the composer's experiences as an ambulance driver in World War I) and recognised as a neglected choral masterpiece. For the second half, the incredible Symphonie Fantastique - the 'programme symphony' written by a 27-year-old Berlioz telling the (autobiographical) story of "an artist gifted with a lively imagination" who has "poisoned himself with opium" in the "depths of despair" because of "hopeless, unrequited love." The five movements of this hallucinatory tale include a beautiful waltz, the famous 'March to the Scaffold' and concludes at the funeral of the hero attended by sorcerers and monsters. Or, as Leonard Bernstein put it "Berlioz tells it like it is. You take a trip, you wind up screaming at your own funeral." Fantastical indeed…   There will be a retiring collection in aid of The Stroke Association. St Mary Redcliffe Church, Bristol DD/MM/YYYY

Details

St Mary Redcliffe Church
12 Colston Parade
Bristol
BS1 6RA
England

Saturday 30th June 2018
7:30 PM

Programme

Henry Purcell – Dido's Lament (arr. Stokowski for strings)
Ralph Vaughan Williams – Dona Nobis Pacem (A Cry for Peace)
Hector Berlioz – Symphonie Fantastique, H 48

Performers

Charlotte Newstead – soprano
Martin Le Poidevin – baritone
Stefan Hofkes – Conductor

Bristol Concert Orchestra

Programme Note

This concert of two halves opens with Stokowski's string arrangement of Purcell's heartrending Dido's Lament ('When I am Laid in Earth'), providing an incredibly effective prelude to Vaughan Williams' empassioned plea for peace Dona nobis pacem (written after the composer's experiences as an ambulance driver in World War I) and recognised as a neglected choral masterpiece.

For the second half, the incredible Symphonie Fantastique - the 'programme symphony' written by a 27-year-old Berlioz telling the (autobiographical) story of "an artist gifted with a lively imagination" who has "poisoned himself with opium" in the "depths of despair" because of "hopeless, unrequited love." The five movements of this hallucinatory tale include a beautiful waltz, the famous 'March to the Scaffold' and concludes at the funeral of the hero attended by sorcerers and monsters.
Or, as Leonard Bernstein put it "Berlioz tells it like it is. You take a trip, you wind up screaming at your own funeral." Fantastical indeed…

There will be a retiring collection in aid of The Stroke Association.

Your events at Classical Events