City of Cambridge Symphony Orchestra concert

Sat 12 October 2024

West Road Concert Hall

Lili Boulanger - D’un matin de printemps
Richard Strauss - Four Last Songs
Sergei Rachmaninov - Symphony No. 2

Soprano - Katy Thomson
Conductor - Robert Hodge

Lili Boulanger’s ‘D’un matin de printemps’ is a joyful, carefree depiction of a spring morning. Completed in 1918 when the composer was just 25, the work glistens with light and youthful energy, following in the stylistic tradition of Debussy.

By contrast, Richard Strauss’s ‘Four Last Songs’ were the product of his old age, written when he was 84. In low spirits, he was encouraged by his son to write ‘one last great piece of music’, a phrase which is certainly fulfilled by what is generally held to be his most beautiful, expressive and moving composition.

Composed in secret and hidden in a cupboard because he was not satisfied, Rachmaninov’s second symphony only saw the light of day because his friends prompted him to have it performed. In the event the premiere in St Petersburg in 1908 was a triumph. Packed with truly gorgeous melodies and lush orchestration, the symphony has never waned in popularity.

Cost: £20, students £10, under-14 £6