On Tour in Prague
Sir Antonio Pappano and Lisa Batiashvili
Municipal House
Thursday 29 May 2025 • 8pm
Book TicketsThe Concert
Hector Berlioz
Overture: Le corsaire (8 mins)
Karol Szymanowski
Violin Concerto No 1 (26 mins)
Interval
Richard Strauss
Ein Heldenleben (40 mins)
Sir Antonio Pappano conductor
Lisa Batiashvili violin
London Symphony Orchestra
Tickets
Tickets 950 Kč–3100 Kč
Available from Municipal House
The Concert
Three portraits from magicians of orchestral colour: Berlioz, Szymanowski and Strauss
The Music
Berlioz was always in thrall to one craze or other. His Le corsaire overture was inspired by a love of Byron, an attraction to piracy, and a failed affair. The result is a suitably colourful experience.
Composed in 1916, Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto is haunting, enigmatic and inspired by an ecstatic poem about a ‘rapturous conflagration’. And Richard Strauss’ amazing ability to tell a story in music is on display in this concert. Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life), Strauss appears to be the hero of his own story, with quotations from his other works scattered throughout the score.
The Performers
Lisa Batiashvili, known for her exquisite sound, is perfect for Szymanowski’s Concerto. To open and close the concert, the LSO and Pappano enjoy a riotous adventure through Berlioz’s imagination and Strauss’ stories.
