Night thoughts: from the magic of Helen Grime to the fantasy of Richard Strauss and the unchained emotion of Tchaikovskyâs PathĂ©tique symphony, conducted by a true rising star.
Near midnight: as a long day closes, the spirit turns to reflection, whether in tranquillity or terror. Helen Grime's nocturnal tone-poem introduces two works from composers facing the ultimate question, in an emotionally-charged BBC Symphony Orchestra debut for the young Australian conductor Nicholas Carter.
The elderly Richard Strauss recaptured the elegant, bittersweet spirit of Mozart in his Oboe Concerto â and itâll make a ravishing showcase for the BBCSOâs own principal oboe Tom Blomfield. Tchaikovskyâs final symphony couldnât be more different: an impassioned musical autobiography, pulsing with great melodies and raw emotion. It should be an overwhelming climax to a concert that begins â according to Helen Grime - amid the mystery and magic of âtolling bells, high-spun moon and the indifference of nightâ.
