Faust & Hélène

The evening opens with two works by Claude Debussy: inspired by a poem by Mallarmé, Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune marked a turning point in orchestral composition in 1894 with its boldness and impressionist character; followed by La Mer, three musical tableaux – ‘symphonic sketches’, as the composer put it – in which the orchestra successively embodies waves, mist and wind.

In the second half, Daniel Harding conducts Faust et Hélène, the work inspired by Goethe’s tale which earned Lili Boulanger the Grand Prix de Rome in 1913, making her the first woman to receive this honour. At just 19 years of age, the composer displays a rare maturity, bringing to life the passionate dialogue between Faust and Hélène, performed for the occasion by Fleur Barron and Andrew Staples.