7:30pm Tuesday 21st June 2011, St John's Smith Square

Conductor Andrew Gourlay

Strauss Don Juan

Bruckner Symphony No. 8

'The Salomon Orchestra launched into a blistering performance of the opening paragraph of Richard Strauss's tone poem, Don Juan. It opened with a portrayal of a Don Juan of such indomitable vitality, that it left you reeling before it and more than happy to sink into the caresses of the seduced beauty portrayed in the first love scene, and it spoke volumes for the virtuosity of this orchestra. The oboe and the leader, Tara Persaud, delivered enchanting solos to melt the heart, and the great horn theme strode with heroic splendour over its high string tremolo.' Ken Ward on bachtrack.com.

Richard Strauss was just 24 when he conducted the premiere of Don Juan in 1889. He noted in his diary ' It unleashed a storm of applause rather unusual for Weimar' and went on to bring him international recognition.

Bruckner's 8th symphony is contempory with Don Juan, but in contrast was towards the end of his career and his last completed symphony. The revised version was finished in 1890, and uniquely for his symphonies was published before the first performance which was conducted by Hans Richter in Vienna in 1892.