Beethoven and Strauss

Javier Perianes performs Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3 You may recognise it as the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey, but Richard Strauss wrote Also Sprach Zarathustra long before that film hit the cinemas. It was his response to a philosophical novel by Nietzsche, so feel free to contemplate the meaning of life when you listen to these triumphant tones. (Or just kick back and let us impress you with some seriously epic brass.) Maurice Ravel’s La Valse is straight out of Paris, 1920. Is it satire, or an innocent little dance? You can be the judge when you hear it. It’s buoyant, charming, and the quirkiest waltz you’ll encounter. If you enjoy a bit of bonus content, come along to our Saturday concert. Spanish pianist Javier Perianes will give a one-off performance of Beethoven’s sophisticated Piano Concerto No.3.