| Tippett, Michael (1905-1998) | Concerto for Double String Orchestra | |
| Elgar, Sir Edward (1857-1934) | Sea Pictures, Op.37 | |
| Vaughan Williams, Ralph (1872-1958) | Symphonie no. 4 en fa mineur |
| Karen Cargill | Mezzo-soprano |
| London Symphony Orchestra | |
| Sir Antonio Pappano | Direction |
Sir Antonio Pappano explores an all-British programme, highlighting composers’ responses to the world around them in early 20th-century Britain.
By playing both orchestras off against one another, Tippett achieves energetic dancing melodies and rhythmic vitality in his virtuosic Concerto for Double String Orchestra, looking back to Elizabethan music and to folksong and jazz to create a highly original piece.
Elgar’s Sea Pictures follows, a song cycle based on poems evoking fear and fascination with the sea. The programme concludes with Vaughan Williams’ Fourth Symphony; channelling tension and power through the music in amongst moments of light and clarity, it evokes a sense of hardship and persistence, suggesting the ever-present threat of war in the 1930s.
NB Change of Artist
Dame Sarah Connolly is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer and regrets that she must withdraw from this concert. The LSO is very grateful to Karen Cargill for agreeing to step in, and wishes Dame Sarah well in her recovery.
