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Mendelssohn and Wagner from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

The CBSO plays Mendelssohn and Alma Mahler, and American mezzo-soprano and winner of the 蜜芽传媒 Cardiff Singer of the World Jamie Barton is the soloist in Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder.

American operatic superstar Jamie Barton makes her debut with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in Wagner's sumptuous Wesendonck Lieder, settings of five poems by one of the several women with whom the composer fell deeply in love - his patron's wife, Mathilde Wesendonck. Written as he began working on his opera Tristan and Isolde, the songs share the opera's philosophical grounding and its intensity of passion.

Felix Mendelssohn's music provides the perfect counterbalance, and the concert begins and ends with two of his most beloved works: the Overture to his incidental music to A Midsummer Night's Dream and the Symphony No. 4, inspired by his travels in Italy.

Also on the programme is Roxanna Panufnik's imaginative orchestral versions of three songs by Alma Mahler, Alma's Songs without Words.

Recorded on 28th May 2025 at Symphony Hall in Birmingham.

Presented by Mark Forrest.

***

Felix Mendelssohn
A Midsummer Night鈥檚 Dream (Overture)

Richard Wagner
Wesendonck Lieder

Interval music:
Fanny Mendelssohn
Songs without words (selection)
Olga Pashcenko (pianoforte)

Roxanna Panufnik
Alma's Songs without Words

Felix Mendelssohn
Symphony No. 4, 'Italian'

Jamie Barton (mezzo-soprano)
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Pierre Bleuse (conductor)

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2 hours, 14 minutes

Last on

Mon 16 Jun 2025 19:30
蜜芽传媒 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Felix Mendelssohn

    A Midsummer Night's Dream (Overture)

    Orchestra: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Pierre Bleuse.

  • Richard Wagner

    Wesendonck-Lieder

    Orchestrator: Felix Mottl. Singer: Jamie Barton. Orchestra: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Pierre Bleuse.

  • Roxanna Panufnik

    Alma's songs without words

    Composer: Alma Mahler-Werfel. Orchestra: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Pierre Bleuse.

  • Felix Mendelssohn

    Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90 'Italian'

    Orchestra: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Pierre Bleuse.

  • Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

    Sonata in C minor Wq.78 for violin and keyboard

    Performer: Rachel Podger. Performer: Kristian Bezuidenhout.
    • Channel Classics.

Broadcast

  • Mon 16 Jun 2025 19:30
    蜜芽传媒 Radio 3