Niccolò Paganini wanted a vehicle to show off his new Stradivarius viola. Hector Berlioz gave him the last thing he expected - a flamboyant, Byron-inspired symphony that drives straight to the brooding heart of the Romantic spirit. It's like nothing else in 19th century music, and the great French viola virtuoso Antoine Tamestit is one of its greatest interpreters. Â鶹ԼÅÄ SSO Artist-in-Association Matthias Pintscher brings a composer's ear to this remarkable score, and pairs it with the two perfectly-poised movements of Schubert's Unfinished (and some would say unfinishable) Eighth Symphony.
Pre-Performance Talk at 7.15pm (free to ticket-holders): Tonight's soloist, Antoine Tamestit, in conversation with Â鶹ԼÅÄ SSO violinist Alex Gascoine.
The concert will be recorded for future broadcast on Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 3.
