John Storgårds and Simone Lamsma with the BBC Philharmonic by Nielsen, Shostakovich, Silvestrov, Fra (2024/2024), Dirigent John Storgårds, MediaCityUK, Salford, United Kingdom

Join the BBC Philharmonic and their Chief Conductor John Storgårds for an afternoon concert at MediaCityUK. First, we hear from one of the giants of Nordic classical music, Carl Nielsen. Simone Lamsma performs as soloist for his Violin Concerto. Nielsen is said to have found this piece challenging to write, and spent the summer and autumn of 1911 perfecting it. He commented that he wanted his concerto to be "good music, and yet always make allowances for the activity of the solo instrument in the best light, that is rich in content, popular and dazzling without becoming superficial." Next, we hear Shostakovich's Scherzo Op. 1, one of the Russian composer's earliest surviving works. The British premiere was in 1996 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Mark Elder. We finish with one of the most recognised Ukrainian composers, Valentin Silvestrov, who has written no fewer than nine symphonies, countless pieces for ensembles and solo instruments, and a large choral repertoire. Today we hear his compelling Meta Waltz. Programme Nielsen Violin Concerto Shostakovich Scherzo Op. 1 Silvestrov Meta-Walzer