Personal sacrifice, heroism, eventual triumph: the struggle for liberty and justice is eternal. In Beethoven’s only opera Fidelio, the main character, Leonore, the wife of politically imprisoned Florestan, poses as boy named Fidelio, and enters the prison where her husband is kept, attempting to ingratiate herself with the gaoler and free Florestan. Beethoven himself struggled to find the most appropriate music for the opening, finally settling on Leonore no. 3, an overture that reflects her determination, bravery and humanity.
Shakespeare’s delightful comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream weaves together the intersecting stories of four young lovers, a group of amateur actors, and mischievous group of fairies. Set in an enchanted forest near Athens, the play explores themes of love, illusion, and the unpredictable nature of desire. In response to a commission from King Frederick William IV of Prussia, Felix Mendelssohn wrote incidental music for a performance at the New Palace at Potsdam. Incorporating an overture that he had written 16 years earlier, the collection includes an intermezzo, a nocturne, a chattering scherzo and a now very famous wedding march.
Despite a scherzo that overflows with high spirits, Brahms Fourth Symphony is one of most serious and profound works in the orchestral repertoire. Combining ‘modern’ and complex musical ideas with a fundamental adherence to classical and pre-classical models, Brahms’ final symphony contains extraordinary inventiveness and ingenuity as he explores all the motivic ideas, but the work remains logical and attractive. There are memorable tunes and rich harmonies, all built with masterful craft and control.
