News and Press

BACHTRACK

As I was doing the recycling the other day, my mind turned briefly to the different ways in which composers sometimes recycle, revise or reuse music. Taking the pieces in this programme by Alexander Shelley and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as examples. Sibelius' Violin Concerto in D minor was written in 1904 but was revised heavily in 1905, the third movement of Prokofiev's Symphony no. 1 in D major "Classical" was also used in his ballet Romeo and Juliet, and his Symphony no. 3 in C minor used music from an unperformed opera.

ELY STANDARD

The audience saw sweeping pictures in their heads when the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra played the music of John Williams at Cambridge Corn Exchange on Saturday, January 21.

The evening began with the triumphant main theme from Superman. So appropriate. In movie music terms, Williams is Superman. Composing for over 50 decades he has won five Oscars and received 50 nominations.

Six brilliant conductors, ten sparkling soloists, sixteen amazing works, and one legendary orchestra. That, in bald numbers, is the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's Southbank Centre concert season at the Royal Festival Hall, starting on Tuesday 7 February. However, in the sheer quality of the Orchestra's playing and the music it will be performing, such calculations convey little about the music in store for seasoned concertgoers and classical discoverers alike.