Composed for a competition at the Paris Conservatoire, Debussy’s Rhapsodie pour clarinette appears to pursue a longing for distant horizons.

Inspired by afro-american author Roi Ottley’s bestseller New World A-Comin’, the work uses music to express the difficulties of afro-americans during wartime, and the various political utopias of the era. In this virtuoso work, Duke Ellington imagines idealistically a far-away world, free from war and greed, dominated by love. Our artist in residence, Marc Perrenoud - pianist, composer and internationally-renowned jazzman - will perform this work with the Orchestra, which includes a cadenza featuring orchestral backing arranged by Alexandre Mastrangelo. 

Don Quichotte joins the programme in rebellion against the absurdities of the world, fighting evil and protecting the oppressed. As we often see in Strauss’s works, he portrays himself in his desperate crusade against the ignorant.

The concert on 21^st September at the Victoria Hall is filmed for television broadcast on Mezzo, Mezzo Live HD, and QWest.