Beethoven, Mozart, Beethoven

Two worlds in collision: the dark drama of Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, its motifs strongly reminiscent of the Fifth Symphony, then the turbulent pathos of Mozart’s Piano Concerto in d minor, give way to Beethoven’s idyllic ‘Pastoral’, a musical depiction of rural landscapes which also captures the emotions of humans confronted by nature. It’s no picnic, though – there’s thunder and lighting and a terrifying din, when Beethoven whips up a storm in fourth movement of his Sixth Symphony. This is the Bamberg Symphony’s latest visit to Spain, where we’ve built up a loyal audience in the last few years. The soloist is the British pianist Christian Blackshaw. He has appeared with many of the world’s leading orchestras, recently making his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic; his series of Mozart piano sonatas, recorded in concert at London’s Wigmore Hall and issued on CD, has drawn unanimous praise from critics, earning from one the verdict: ‘magical’.