Elgar and Holst The Planets

The Concert

Two giants of British music, and two blistering orchestral works from the early 20th century, as Sir Antonio Pappano begins his first season as Chief Conductor of the LSO.

The Music

Elgar’s lyrical Violin Concerto was inscribed with the mysterious phrase, ‘Herein is enshrined the soul of ….’. The whole ensemble glows across three emotionally expansive movements – at times tempestuous, at others heartbreakingly tender.

Completed in 1917, Holst’s The Planets can still surprise us. From ‘Mars’ – the piece that inspired countless film soundtracks – to the swelling majesty of ‘Jupiter’ and the atmospheric fade-out of ‘Neptune’, this is composition on a cosmic scale.

The Performers

Vilde Frang brings emotional sincerity to her rendition of Elgar’s Violin Concerto, while Sir Antonio Pappano and the LSO delve into each celestial mood of Holst’s masterpiece, joined by Tenebrae for the enigmatic final movement.

Recorded for broadcast on Medici.tv and Mezzo

Header Image © Frances Marshall