Repertoire

Franz Joseph Haydn: Piano Concerto No. 11 in D major, Hob. XVIII:11 (1782) 20′
César Franck: Symphonic Variations (1885) 15′
Gustav Holst: The Planets (1914-1916) – 51′

ARTISTS

Gemma New, conductor
Leif Ove Andsnes, piano
Cor de Noies de l’Orfeó Català
Barcelona Symphony Orchestra (OBC)

Programme

Joseph Haydn’s charming, balanced classicism shines through in his most popular piano concerto, written between 1780 and 1783. Despite the limited size of the orchestral ensemble, it is resolutely communicative: emphatic from the initial vivace, but never losing the style galant of the delicate slow movement, which is followed by the sprightly Rondo all’Ongarese.

César Franck’s vocation as an organist is evident in the way he occupies the soundscape, with a surprisingly logical control of the duration of the notes. The Symphonic Variations, in which piano and orchestra weave a complex web of varying density and colour, are a clear example of this.

We head to outer space with Gustav Holst’s symphonic suite The Planets, composed between 1914 and 1916. From Mercury “The Winged Messenger” to Neptune “The Mystic”, seven planets in our solar system are depicted by a large orchestra that incorporates some unusual instruments.