Performers
Mahler Chamber Orchestra
Leon Fleisher (conductor)

Programme
Haydn : Symphony No 49 'La passione'
Bacewicz : Concerto for string orchestra
Cherubini : Symphony in D minor

Another concert in the series featuring the band founded by Claudio Abbado in 1997, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.

Here, Leon Fleisher conducts an interesting programme of three diverse composers from different eras whose music nevertheless gels.

Haydn's 104 numbered symphonies are, virtually without exception, delightful works with all the best elements of the Classical period: variety, infectious rhythms, abundant melody, playful humour, and a regard for rules and form that makes the occasional bending of those rules so much more impressive. The Symphony No 49, from his period in Esterhazy, is no exception, its minor-key colouring giving it a dark richness.

Grazyna Bacewicz (1909-1969) was born a long way from Haydn in every sense: hundreds of miles away in Poland, hundreds of years away in the 20th century - and a different sex. However, her music - written in the neoclassical style that gained popularity with many audiences in the mid-1900s - is as fresh and accessible. Her compatriot Witold Lutoslawski said "one can already predict that her music will survive this test of time. As examples, we can cite the Concerto for String Orchestra, a favorite with this type of ensemble" - as you'll hear, it's a favourite with the audiences who've heard it too.

Finally comes Luigi Cherubini's Symphony in D minor. Cherubini (1760-1842) was considered by no less than Beethoven to be one of the major composers of the early 1800s, when he was living in Paris and producing his best works. Among these is the symphony, composed as a result of a commission from England.