Berlioz 150: John Nelson on the Requiem

We sit down with two of the opera world’s leading figures, and masterminds of Brussels’ La Monnaie (De Munt) – how do they balance the competing challenges and thrills of running an opera house?

From fulfilling funerary functions, to eulogising friends and fellow artists, or lamenting the waste of war: here are some of the finest examples of music written in mourning.

Gareth Davies, Principal Flute of the London Symphony Orchestra, talks about the furious scramble to keep up with Colin Davis performing Berlioz’s great hallucinatory symphony.

Creator Johan Idema talks about the “subtitles for symphonies” app, why Wolfgang was created and how it’s used.

Lord Byron’s influence on musicians was immense – with Rossini, Verdi, Berlioz, Liszt, Tchaikovsky and Schoenberg among the many composers to create works inspired by his writings.

We profile one of the most advanced and best-sounding concert halls in the UK, and take a look further afield at arts and culture across Manchester.