Romain Rolland wrote of Saint-Säens in 1908 that "he brings into the midst of our modern restlessness something of sweetness and clarity of past periods, something that feels like fragments of a vanished world." This programme of three very unrelated pieces shows the last grandiose accomplishments of the passing romantic generation.
Margarita Balanas plays Saint-Säens's first cello concerto on the very same instrument which was built for the premiere of this piece. In what feels like a one-movement fantasy for cello and orchestra, the initial tune and his off-beat rhythm keep returning after several gracefully peaceful melodies are introduced. This piece was admired by some, including Rachmaninoff, to be the best concerto for the cello ever written.
Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet is a symphonic poem that the composer reworked three times before producing the version usually performed in the repertoire. Bringing together sonata form, orchestral virtuosity and contrasting sections, Tchaikovsky frames the love scene in a complex and foreboding context, that seems to make love doomed from the beginning.
The closing piece, Mahler's epic last movement from his third symphony, is hardly ever performed on its own, despite its appeal for both orchestras and audiences. Mahler had originally annotated the movement with the title "What love tells me", later removed. In this piece we hear something similar to what Romain Rolland was talking about, sweetness and clarity that seem to overcome the jarring restlessness of the advancing technological revolution.
C. Saint-Säens Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor
P.I. Tchaikovsky Overture-fantasy Romeo and Juliet TH 42
G. Mahler From Symphony No. 3 in D minor, 6. Langsam-Ruhevoll-Empfunden
Fidelio Orchestra
Margarita Balanas, cello
Raffaello Morales, conductor
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Wines and drinks
Available to purchase on the night from the bar at the venue.
Tickets
Gallery seat £18.5
Stalls seat £27.5
Donations
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