Flights of Fantasy

Three very different dreamers, three very different pieces of music. Richard Strauss was fascinated by Cervantes’ epic novel Don Quixote, and used his trademark lavish orchestration to depict its day-dreaming hero in a set of Variations on a Theme of Knightly Character’. The title role is taken by the CBSO’s Cello Section Leader Eduardo Vassallo, whilst the long-suffering sidekick Sancho Panza is portrayed by his viola counterpart Christopher Yates. Prokofiev’s Renata, heroine of his opera The Fiery Angel, is also engaged in a quest with the aid of a knight-errant, but her visions are altogether more hysterical and troubled. The composer’s Third Symphony draws heavily on his dramatic, extravagant score for this opera. Till Eulenspiegel, meanwhile, is more rascal than hero, and his scrapes with authority are depicted in the effervescent tone-poem that kicks off this concert.

6.15pm pre-concert talk

£39, £36.50, £31.50, £27.50, £23, £20, £16.50, £13, £9.50

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• classical
• CBSO
• Prokofiev
• SymphonyHall
• strauss
• vassallo
• yates