Rachmaninoff, Berlioz & Alexei Volodin
Feature Concerts • 2h 27m
Available for streaming from March 18 - April 17, 2023 in Canada only.
Berlioz composed Symphonie fantastique in an attempt to woo a young actress, but it’s not your average love song (or story). This symphony begins with passionate, heartsick daydreams, a grand ball, and scenes in the countryside – only to take a sharp turn to a march to the guillotine and a witch’s Sabbath, thanks to a heavy dose of opium. Storyline aside, the orchestration of this work was so innovative it truly startled 19th century audiences, convincing them the world of the supernatural was present at the performance.
Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto is the most beloved of his four and one of the most popular of all, performed by soloist Alexei Volodin who galvanized WSO audiences in the last concerts before the pandemic.