Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Joshua Bell

ABOUT THE CONCERT

The concerts of the orchestra of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields under the baton of its musical director, the violinist Joshua Bell, demonstrate a quality that can be regarded as first class in the context of chamber music. Since the death of its legendary chief conductor Neville Marriner, the orchestra has continued its rich history of recording with studio-quality performances. At the heart of their festival appearance will be a performance of Dvořák’s Violin Concerto, which is a key repertoire item – it is a work that bears repeating when played by top artists. As a violinist and conductor, Bell takes a detailed approach. As he himself says, he persuades the orchestra to view even Beethoven’s symphonies as large string quartets. Besides Dvořák’s Violin Concerto, they will also give transparent performances of Mendelssohn’s Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, in which intricate interplay alternates with moments of pure joy. The concert will conclude with Georges Bizet’s Symphony in C Major, his only work in the genre, which bears eloquent witness to the talent of the man who composed the passionate opera Carmen.

PROGRAM

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
Summer Night Dream – ouverture, Op. 21

Antonín Dvořák
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 53, B. 108

Georges Bizet
Symphony No. 1 in C Major

PERFORMERS

ACADEMY OF ST MARTIN IN THE FIELDS

JOSHUA BELL director, violin