Details

The CBSO puts on its dancing shoes for this vibrant evening of music from America and Spain. John Adams’ seductive ‘out-take’ from his opera Nixon in China, imagines Chairman Mao foxtrotting with his wife in a surreal dream sequence. Leonard Bernstein fused several famous numbers from West Side Story in his Symphonic Dances and the result is a floor-scorching mix of young love and hot-headed rivalry. British pianist Stephen Osborne conjures visions of sultry Spanish evenings in Manuel de Falla’s impressionistic concerto, filled with the scent of jasmine and the rhythms of gypsy dancing. In Gershwin’s An American in Paris it’s the sound of city life, complete with car horns, that provides the backdrop for his young hero. As you’d expect from America’s greatest songwriter it’s full of infectious jazz rhythms and wonderful tunes, none better than the bluesy trumpet that lights up the Parisian night. City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra website.

Cast/Performers

Stephen Osborne (piano)

Creatives/Company

Conductor: Carlos Kalmar