| Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra | |
| Kirill Karabits | Direction |
| Sally Matthews | Soprano |
Schubert’s symphonic swansong known as the Great on account of its majestic “heavenly length” that so impressed Schumann is a vigorous and daring work by an extremely ambitious young man. Strauss’ more personal swansong is a last love letter to the soprano voice: The sublime Four Last Songs are all linked by their autumnal feelings of weariness and leave-taking. These are not songs of regret and angst. Rather, they are resplendent with the joy of a long life lived well and full of tenderness and love for one’s spouse. Death is not something to be struggled against, but something to be welcomed: a warm embrace after a life of hard work, an end to tiredness and the pains of old age. Beethoven’s heroic overture conveys the essence of a profound drama with unforgettable intensity, maintaining a tone of tragedy throughout.
