Brahms’ Third Symphony
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- What you'll hear
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Charming. Optimistic. Music with a smile on its face.
Who’s on stage
Join Royal Northern Sinfonia and one of our favourite pianists, the flamboyant Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, for a sunny concert conducted by Christian Reif that’s sure to put a spring in your step.
What they’re playing
Poulenc’s charming and witty Sinfonietta, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 and Brahms’ beautiful Third Symphony.
Need to know
Price: £19 – £46
Discounts: save if you’re under 17, aged 18 – 30, a classical first timer, or a group of 10 or more people. Check the details.
Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.
Age: under 14s must be accompanied by an adult.
What you'll hear
Francis Poulenc Sinfonietta (29‘)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No. 17 (30’)
Johannes Brahms Symphony No. 3 (33‘)
Who's playing
Christian Reif conductor
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet piano
Royal Northern Sinfonia
What's happening in the music?
If you’re looking for anger or angst, then Brahms’ Third Symphony is emphatically not the place to find it. This is a sunny, optimistic piece of music, full of gorgeous flowing romantic melodies. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 is in a similar vein, effortless in its perfection, and full of gentle drama. Poulenc’s Sinfonietta is playful, irreverent and lighthearted – a perfect start to a resolutely feel-good evening of music.
Pet Sounds
Soon after finishing this concerto, Mozart entered the shop of a local bird seller where he heard a starling sing the finale of the song. He quickly bought the bird, and it soon became a cherished pet in his home. When it died a few years later, he even honoured it with a funeral.
If it’s good enough for Bernstein…
Leonard Bernstein (the subject of the award winning film, Maestro) was such a fan of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17, he said if he had to name his all-time favourite piece of music, it would be the Andante passage from this concerto. He said: ‘It is Mozart at the peak of his lyrical powers, combining serenity, melancholy, and tragic intensity in one great lyric improvisation”. Hear him perform it here.
