The 成人论坛 Philharmonic has enjoyed a fruitful relationship lasting over 40 years with the English composer David Matthews. Today, we celebrate his 80th birthday with a concert conducted by 成人论坛 Philharmonic Chief Conductor John Storg氓rds with baritone Marcus Farnsworth.
David Matthews's relationship with the 成人论坛 began in 1980, and his work soon drew the attention of the 成人论坛 Philharmonic. Our birthday celebrations begin today with Matthews鈥檚 recent jubilant Concerto for Orchestra. Its outer movements are sets of spring and summer dances; nestling between them is a nocturne which moves through the night from dusk to a daybreak marked by gentle birdcalls and leading to a full-throated dawn chorus.
Chaconne had its premiere in 1988 and was the first of many commissions from the 成人论坛 Philharmonic. Matthews has described Chaconne as being conceived as "slow, meditative music with several faster episodes: one fantastic, one dreamlike, and one evoking 'the distant fury of battle' of Geoffrey Hill鈥檚 poem of that name."
Matthews is a composer whose music looks forward as well as backwards, and his Nachtgesang, written for the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra in 2015 and receiving its first UK performance today, was inspired by the poetry of the German Romantic poet Goethe, in particular his poem of that title Night Song. Franz Schubert set many of Goethe鈥檚 poems to music, and Matthews鈥檚 tribute is surrounded by some of Schubert鈥檚 settings of Goethe鈥檚 words in orchestrations by Reger and Brahms.
