A1 Saint-Saëns. Ravel. Massenet. Mozart

We open our 29th concert season with music by three French composers, bookended by famous works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. We will discover a number of connections between the compositions from the first evening of the orchestral series. One of these is a fondness for exotic subjects: the works we will hear are linked to Egypt, Turkey and even the Far East. A substantial part of the programme will also be dedicated to opera, where we will hear numbers from three operas by composers who each found their own way to this genre. 

First off will be Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio, specifically the sparkling, energetic overture to this comic opera. Massenet’s Thaïs represents a completely different form of lyrical opera and still remains one of the most popular of the composer’s thirty works in this genre. The opera section of the programme also features the Bacchanal from the opera Samson and Delilah, whose composer, Camille Saint-Saëns, was following the trends in spectacular French grand opera. 

We will then stay with vocal-instrumental music with the song cycle Shéhérezade by the French impressionist Maurice Ravel. The composer was very taken by this subject, inspiring him to write two compositions about it. The song cycle is full of references to music from Arabian countries, India, and even China.

We will be guided through this colourful work by the star soprano Ailyn Pérez, a regular guest at the most prestigious opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York.