Venue: Birmingham Town Hall & Symphony Hall

Carlos Rizzi believes that Puccini’s orchestrations are good enough to stand alone, without their vocal lines, but can the drama compete with the romance of Respighi?

The CBSO present the work of three European émigré composers of the 1930s and 40s, who reimagined their musical influences with contrasting approaches and results.

In the CBSO Benevolent Fund concert, the orchestra tells the timeless story, set in Persia, of Scheherazade who, through her storytelling, brings about peace.

The CBSO’s Birmingham’s Town Hall matinee sets forth a curious mix of Baroque, Classical, and modern music, sandwiching a lesser-known concerto between some familiar tunes.

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra greet an old friend and say farewell to another in a thoroughly absorbing all-Strauss programme. 

The overriding impression of Widmann’s return to Birmingham’s Symphony Hall is one of a man at complete ease and enjoying his music.