鈥業 may not be a first-rate composer,鈥� quipped Richard Strauss, 鈥榖ut I am a first-class second-rate composer.鈥� No one could accuse Strauss of modesty and in this expansive love-letter to, well, himself, he uses huge orchestral forces and a dash of humour to catalogue his 鈥榟eroic鈥� struggle. Sir Mark Elder (and leader Laura Samuel) will bring out all the swagger and glory of this magnificent music as well as its tenderness and grace. Strauss鈥檚 great idol was Mozart so it鈥檚 only right that Sophie Bevan joins us for one of his most dramatic concert arias and, to prove that heroes come in all forms, we open with the mysterious Prelude and radiant Good Friday music from Wagner鈥檚 tale of a 鈥榟oly fool鈥� made wise through compassion.
