Tchaikovsky 5

A marvellous display of deep melodic sentiment, masterly command of orchestral colour, and an apotheosis of dance that exceeds all decreed limits: this is Symphony No. 5 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. This work, which followed one of his creative crises, marked a highpoint in the composer’s mature period, with a shift toward a more subtle, precise style of composition. A staple in orchestral repertoires and a work considered to be one of his most famous, there is never a lull in the music: only the waltz dares to interrupt the discourse in the third movement, as if an innocent party were being held in the midst of a war that breaks out in the final presto.

Richard Strauss was going through difficult times when he composed his Oboe Concerto, a major work for oboe and a ray of light in the darkness. Despite his repudiation by the Third Reich and the destruction of places like the Munich National Theatre, which he witnessed, the composer managed to create a gem in his late period, seeking beauty behind the ruins. One figure who played a role in it was John de Lancie: an oboist and one of the US soldiers who visited his home at the end of the Second World War, as the note on the score explains: “Oboe Concerto inspired by an American soldier…”.