Part of the BBC Proms. A Proms reprise of a programme first given in 1958, featuring two German composers who managed to retain Classical poise in the face of burgeoning Romanticism. Mendelssohn’s Fourth Symphony celebrates the sounds and colours of Italy, while Brahms’s Second is the most ‘pastoral’ of his symphonies, a work of carefree high spirits. In between comes the colossal Second Piano Concerto with which Brahms blurs the boundaries between symhony and concerto; the soloist is Lars Vogt, whose reputation is similarly built on a mastery of the Classical repertoire. Mendelssohn’s spirited curtain-raiser is based on the Victor Hugo play in which the commoner Ruy Blas is forced to dishonour the Queen of Spain by winning her affections. Finish time approx. 22:05| 23 Jul 08 | Royal Albert Hall Inner London, Greater London Performance Details => Venue archive |
