INSPIRED by an opium-induced dream and ruined by the arrival of the man from Porlock, Taylor Coleridge's poem 'The Pleasure Dome of Kubla Khan' became the inspiration of this musical piece by American Composer Griffe.
This beautifully impressionistic work is a delightful mixture of oriental exoticism and atmospheric imagery.
Andrew Litton, conductor and 22 year old American violinist Leila Josefowicz, together with the Orchestra played John Adams' Violin Concerto.
Adams' work had moments of touching beauty, although the slow movement is overlong.
The final movement is reminiscent of Holst's Planets full of fire and sparkle. Josefowicz, playing with an astonishing maturity is a prodigious new talent.
Finally we came to Shostakovich's Symphony No 11 ' The Year 1905', crammed full of revolutionary songs sounding like folk tunes.
Evoking Russia's 'Bloody Sunday' when the Tzar's soldiers opened fire on a petition-presenting crowd carrying icons and singing hymns.
This resulted in the deaths of hundreds. Shostakovich's music moves the listener to tears, yet fully expresses anger and despair.
It has been called 'a film-score without the film' so graphic is its representation of the seeds from which sprang the Russian Revolution.
Listen out for this programme being broadcast soon on Radio 3.
BBC PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA - Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
BRENDA KEAN
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