| Ravel, Maurice (1875-1937) | Shéhérazade, ouverture de féérie | |
| Beamish, Sally (n. 1956) | Hive (BBC co-commission: world premiere) | |
| Rimski-Korsakov, Nikolaï (1844-1908) | Shéhérazade, op.35 |
| Catrin Finch | Harpe |
| BBC National Orchestra of Wales | |
| Ariane Matiakh | Direction |
For composers in the 19th century, the pages of the One Thousand and One Nights were a portal to a new imaginative world: a place where fantastic stories and exotic images inspired sounds more sensuous, more colourful and more magical than anything that had been heard before. Ravel and Rimsky-Korsakov both drew inspiration from the tales of the beautiful Scheherazade, and both created music that lets a full symphony orchestra weave pure enchantment: a glorious showcase for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and its charismatic French guest conductor Ariane Matiakh. Sally Beamish, meanwhile, finds stories closer to home, in a beehive-inspired premiere for ‘Queen of Harps’ Catrin Finch.
£8.50–£42 (plus booking fee)