A sumptuous spread is surely just what’s called for in Melbourne winter, right? Though at this Babylonian banquet, you might get more than you bargained for.
Chief Conductor Jaime Martín, the Orchestra and MSO Chorus present the works of three alliterative Englishmen: Benjamin Britten, Edward Elgar and William Walton. But that’s where the similarities end, as these are three works of utter uniqueness.
In A Young Person's Guide , Britten celebrates the orchestra by passing melodies though the instrumental families, with each section introduced and afforded the chance at virtuosity. It’s an inventive, inviting opener which serves as the perfect ice-breaker for the audience.
The solo cello’s striking opening phrase in Elgar’s Cello Concerto commands immediate attention. What follows is a sweeping, melancholic mood that reflects the state of Elgar’s mind at the time. Li-Wei Qin joins the MSO to perform one of the most popular cello concertos in the repertoire today.
Written for double chorus, baritone solo, organ and whopping orchestra, William Walton’s setting of the Biblical subject of Belshazzar is a cantata of utmost enormity. So big in fact, when it came to premiere, the famous conductor Sir Thomas Beecham said to the young Walton, “Since you’ll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?”. Challenge accepted – the final work includes offstage brass.
So charge your glasses, this colossal drama always brings the house down, along with Belshazzar himself!
