Salomon Past Concerts

Tuesday 12th February 2008 at St John's Smith Square

Conductor Jason Lai

Mendelssohn Overture for Winds

Sibelius Symphony No.7

Richard Strauss Ein Heldenleben

A Hero's Life by Ralph Fabri (1946)

'...a fine blend of sound in ‘The Battle’, with the orchestra in full flow. The real hero was Anna Ritchie, the orchestra’s leader, whose violin solos (depicting Pauline, Strauss’s wife) graced the performance in superb style.'

Edward Clark, classicalsource.com

Mr Clark was more circumspect about other aspects of the concert, for example:

'...the concert’s programmers bravely challenged the wind- and brass-players to blow into cold instruments on a chilly February evening in Mendelssohn’s Overture. Given such lack of wisdom, the players acquitted themselves well and Lai whipped up a very good Allegro vivace, which owed a debt to Beethoven.'

Mendelssohn arranged his Overture for Wind opus 24 from memory at the request of his publisher after his original for small ensemble was lost.

Salomon brass, wind and timps in Sibelius 7

When Sibelius submitted his Fantasia Synfonica (first performed in 1924) for publication in 1925 he finally decided it was worthy of being called his 7^th symphony. In fact so perfectly did the one movement work bring together his symphonic ideas he never was satisfied with attempts at an 8^th in the last 33 years of his life.

Richard Strauss’ heroic life erupts from the depths of the orchestra (in the key of  Beethoven’s Eroica) for a journey of struggle and discovery. As in much great symphonic music the subject is both personal and universal. With the support of true love, introduced by extended violin solo, he battles his critics (including the ubiquitous Eduard Hanslick depicted as simplistic and shifty on the tubas), reflects on his work to date and prepares to move to a new life of challenges. Strauss rebelled against his horn player father Franz’ arguments with Wagner and his music, and embraced the concept of the leitmotiv in his tone poems. Ein Heldenleben marked the culmination of predominantly orchestral composition as he proceeded to concentrate on opera to great acclaim.

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2007-2008

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