L'après-midi

“Free but happy” is the motto of Brahms’s Third Symphony, and from sweeping opening to majestic sunset of a finish, he never wrote anything more personal or poetic. It’s a long way from the silken sensuality of Debussy’s Prélude.

But as Romanian conductor Cristian Mandeal knows, music’s all about the journey – and it’s been said that Saint-Saëns’ second Piano Concerto begins in a nunnery and ends in revelry! We just know that it’s packed with catchy tunes, and with the renowned British pianist Ian Fountain at the keyboard, it’ll simply spring to life.