Philharmonia Orchestra

Sibelius Finlandia

Sibelius Violin Concerto

Elgar Symphony No 2

Philharmonia Orchestra

Valeriy Sokolov violin

Edward Gardner conductor

One of the world’s great orchestras comes to the Bath International Music Festival. “Rarely, rarely, comest thou, Spirit of Delight!” – Elgar inscribed this symphony with a quotation from Shelley and it can be seen as a golden evocation of landscapes that inspired Elgar’s work – from the Malvern Hills to Venice to Tintagel, with a slow movement often seen as a funeral march written for Edward VII. In Edward Gardner this music could not have a better interpreter, as he has won worldwide praise for his approach to Elgar. Sibelius’s brilliant and haunting violin concerto with thrill with Valeriy Sokolov, and there is no more sparkling opening to a concert than Sibelius’s Finlandia.

Valeriy Sokolov’s sound has been compared to “silk and steel”, and he has already carved out a major international career as a self-proclaimed “natural born fiddler”.

This will be an exceptional opportunity to hear the massed forces of a great symphony orchestra in Bath, with a lyrical and fascinating repertoire, exploring two great composers’ complex passion for place.
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