Thomas de Hartmann (1884-1956)
Johann Sebastian Bach, orch. Respighi: Three Chorales – No.1: ‘Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland’
Thomas de Hartmann: Violin Concerto, Opus 66 (1943; UK premiere)
[Bell’s encore, Chopin E-flat Nocturne, arranged for violin & orchestra]
Henryk Mikołaj Górecki: Symphony No.3 ‘Symphony of Sorrowful Songs’
Joshua Bell (violin)
Francesca Chiejina (soprano)
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Dalia Stasevska
‘Perhaps people find something they need in this piece … something they were missing.’ Henryk Górecki’s ‘Symphony of Sorrowful Songs’ translates a century’s loss and pain into sound, gathering up the broken pieces – of history, prayer and poetry – and giving them a home in music that’s as much requiem as a symphony. Joshua Bell is the soloist in Ukraine-born composer Thomas de Hartmann’s emotive, cinematic Violin Concerto, a lament for the Nazi destruction of his homeland. The concert opens with Respighi’s warmly expansive reworking of an organ chorale prelude by J. S. Bach.