BBC SSO 2019-20 Season The Ring: An Orchestral Adventure in Aberdeen

From a single note, Wagner’s colossal 'Ring of the Nibelungs' creates a universe, weaving a timeless myth of love, greed, power and redemption. We don’t have time for the whole thing tonight, but in this hour-long “orchestral adventure” 'The Ring' emerges as one of the 19th century’s mightiest symphonies, especially in the hands of a conductor like Antony Hermus who has a deep kinship with Romantic music. It’s difficult to follow that, but the ‘Mad Scene’ from Donizetti’s 'Lucia di Lammermoor' is an inspired prelude, coupled here with an early Haydn symphony that unleashes a world of emotion without wasting a note.

The concert will be recorded for future broadcast on BBC Radio 3.