Our artist in residence leaves the beaten track by choosing two virtuoso works inspired by the rich folklore of Eastern Europe.

Bartók's Rhapsody No. 1 is the fruit of his tireless harvesting of folk music in the Hungarian and Romanian countryside with his friend Zoltán Kodály. Bartók wanted both to save this rich peasant heritage and to bring it to the attention of symphony audiences. The use of the cymbalum, an instrument so inseparable from Gypsy music, adds an element of authenticity to the orchestral colour.

Martinů's Suite Concertante was written during the Czech composer's American exile and resounds like a brilliant tribute to his distant homeland. Extensively reworked by its composer and rarely performed, it has long been championed by Frank Peter Zimmermann.

Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No. 8 is full of generous melodies which persist long after their performance. Joyful and optimistic, this happy symphony also displays an imaginative freedom of invention.