CANCELLED due to coronavirus - Sibelius' Seventh Symphony

Two soloists sign for two rarely heard, romantic works. Alphons Diepenbrock was a bit of the Dutch Claude Debussy. A night-time boat trip with his lover from Amsterdam to Nieuwendam inspired him to write Die Nacht. For Helena Rasker, the piece carries everything she loves about the night. 'It is undeservedly a very unknown but incredibly beautiful piece. The atmosphere of night and the magic is so beautifully expressed. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the music. The silence and vastness of the night, the starry sky, wonderful. A nice combination with William Walton's also not-so-famous Cello Concerto. You can hear an ode to his wife in it. It is more reminiscent of the romantic (cello) language of Schumann than that of pained composers like Shostakovich. There are plenty of fireworks but no anger, reflection but no despair. Lyricism in which the cello excels.