Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

Beethoven's dramatic overture is a perfect concentration of the themes of his opera Fidelio. In The Lark Ascending, the solo violin soars above the orchestra in increasing rapture, contrasted with a more folk-inspired second theme.

The Fourth is Mahler's most serene symphony, written at a time when everything in his life seemed to be going well. After three graceful and mostly good-humoured movements, it concludes with a child's-eye view of heaven, as a place where food, games, and music overflow in abundance..