City of London Festival: Britten Sinfonia

Britten Sinfonia
Jacqueline Shave (violin)
Nicholas Daniel (oboe)
Huw Watkins (piano)

Stravinsky - The Birth of Apollo (from Apollon musagète)
Vivaldi - Spring (from The Four Seasons)
David Matthews - Two Dionysus Dithyrambs, Op 94
Vivaldi - Summer (from The Four Seasons)
Britten - Young Apollo
Vivaldi - Autumn (from The Four Seasons)
Matthews - The Flaying of Marsyas (world première of orchestral version)
Vivaldi - Winter (from The Four Seasons)

Britten Sinfonia is joined by both award-winning oboeist Nicholas Daniel and pianist Huw Watkins to present a programme of works that reflect upon the idea of 'Conflict and Resolution', signified by the twin gods of Greek mythology, Apollo and Dionysus. Order, harmony and serenity are presented in the opening of Stravinsky's ballet score where the beauty of the young Apollo is portrayed by the string orchestra. Britten's dramatic Young Apollo for piano and strings signifies the composer's return to tonality and a fresh approach to his composition.

The world première of David Matthews' orchestral version of his work The Flaying of Marsyas is inspired by Titain's painting where Apollo can be seen playing an early form of violin and Marsyas, who challenged Apollo to a musical contest and whose punishment for being defeated was to be flayed, played the aulos, a kind of oboe. The newer works are interspersed with the concertos of Vivalid's much-loved The Four Seasons reconnecting with the Festival's environmental themes.