Brahms and Zemlinsky - CCSO
Conductor, Robert Hodge Photo credit: Paul Ashley
If you think November ends with a whimper, think again. The gloomy month will end with the lush sounds of high romantic melody and life-affirming joy. This is the menu offered by the City of Cambridge Symphony Orchestra for its forthcoming concert at West Road on 29 November at 7.30pm. Two works will fill up that great space: Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto and ‘The Mermaid’ by Alexander von Zemlinsky.
Both were titans of the Austrian concert hall but the latter has long been a touch neglected. His fantasy suite ‘Die Seejungfrau’ is perhaps his most popular work. Long thought lost, the piece is still unfamiliar to most and I, for one, am looking forward to a first live hearing.
Under the baton of Robert Hodge, the main work is the Brahms concerto. Perhaps a bit overshadowed by the symphonic grandeur of the First, this one is also a musical stunner –playful, incessantly melodic and passionate. I know someone who has long thought the second movement to be the sexiest in the repertoire!
Simon Callaghan is the soloist – with a slew of great recordings to his name, and secure place among European pianists, his presence on the West Road stage should attract a big crowd. The CCSO make it easy to say YES to NOvember.
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Photos: Paul Ashley
