Seasons & Stories

Marta Ptaszyńska
A Winter’s Tale 9’

RobertSchumann
Cello Concerto in A minor 25’

INTERVAL: 15 minutes

FelixMendelssohn
A Midsummer Night’s Dream – overture 12’

Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 2 in D major 32’

Paweł Kapuła conductor
Sterling Elliott cello

BBC Hoddinott Hall is certified by EcoAudio and we’re proud to be supporting the BBC in becoming a more sustainable organisation. For more information on the BBC’s net-zero transition plan and sustainability strategy please visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/documents/bbc-net-zero-transition-plan-2024.pdf

The concert at Hoddinott Hall is being broadcast live by BBC Radio 3 in Classical Live; it will be available for 30 days after broadcast via BBC Sounds, where you can also find podcasts and music mixes.

I wrote La Novella d’Inverno (‘A Winter’s Tale’) for the Polish Chamber Orchestra in 1984 when I had a guest artist residency at the Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington. The piece is dedicated to the PCO and its wonderful conductor Jerzy Maksymiuk.

La Novella was premiered in Lisbon on 5 May 1985 by the PCO at the Gulbenkian Foundation Contemporary Music Festival. Since then, it has been performed widely in many European countries and the USA, as well as at major international festivals such as ISCM World Music Days in Oslo, Prix Futura Berlin, Warsaw Autumn, Perth and Exeter.

La Novella d’Inverno was inspired by the surrealist works of Max Ernst, Yves Tanguy and Giorgio de Chirico. As in their paintings, my piece unites the elements of the real world with the surreal, subconscious imagery found in the world of dreams; it creates, as a result, a new, superior sound vision. This new sound world is built on well-known features, taking, as it does, motifs and rhythms from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, but they are transmuted and modified in such a way as to create something that is decisively epic.

The title of the piece comes from Vivaldi himself, as one of the last motifs I borrow is from his ‘Winter’ concerto, which I use to bring a mood of serenity and luminosity.

Within La Novella d’Inverno are many fast-moving and often unexpected sequences, though its mood is frequently mysterious and lyrical, especially the middle episode. I have tried to create imaginative sonorities through the use of sul ponticello passages, ethereal harmonics and glissandos. Structurally, this 10-minute work takes as its starting point sonata form, with a clear exposition, some sort of an elaboration, and finally some references to recapitulation.

^{Programme note © Marta Ptaszyńska}

1  Nicht zu schnell –
2 Langsam –
3 Sehr lebhaft

Sterling Elliott cello

Robert Schumann had a special affinity with the cello, which features prominently in his orchestral and chamber works. Indeed, the musicologist Donald Francis Tovey went so far as to describe the instrument’s qualities as mirroring the composer’s creative character – that of a ‘beloved enthusiastic dreamer’. Schumann composed his Cello Concerto in just two weeks in October 1850, shortly after becoming Music Director of the City of Düsseldorf. It was the first significant solo concerto for the instrument since Haydn’s in the previous century. The composer’s wife Clara much admired it, praising its ‘freshness and humour’, ‘highly interesting interweaving of violoncello and orchestra’ and the ‘deep feeling’ conveyed through its melodies.

However, criticism from the principal cellist of the Düsseldorf orchestra Christian Reimers and the composer and cellist Robert Bockmühl prompted Schumann to make wide-ranging revisions to the work. By the time it was published in 1854, he had suffered a permanent mental collapse, and he never got to hear its premiere, which belatedly took place in Leipzig four years after his death. The concerto subsequently gained international recognition thanks to its championship by several leading cellists including Pablo Casals.

Schumann’s Cello Concerto shares two features with his friend Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto: there are no breaks between movements, and the soloist enters almost immediately, rather than after a lengthy orchestral introduction. The first movement is marked ‘Nicht zu schnell’ (not too fast) and has two contrasting main themes, the first impassioned, the second reflective. The central section includes much volatile dialogue between soloist and orchestra. Following a reprise of the opening material, the music flows seamlessly into the slow central movement. This ‘song without words’ features a tender duet between the soloist and the orchestra’s principal cellist, which some commentators have suggested represents a conversation between Robert and Clara Schumann. Hushed pizzicato accompaniment from the orchestral strings creates an especially intimate ambience. A brief reminiscence of the concerto’s opening bars and dramatic exchanges between soloist and orchestra lead directly into the third movement, marked ‘Sehr lebhaft’ (very lively).

This rondo-finale may have inspired Schumann’s description of the concerto as ‘quite a jolly piece’. Its recurrent principal theme is a jaunty march, which alternates with more lyrical episodes. The writing for the soloist is excitingly flamboyant and culminates in an ornate cadenza with discreet orchestral accompaniment, before the full orchestra re-enters to sweep the piece to its exuberant conclusion.  

^{Programme note © Kate Hopkins}

INTERVAL: 15 minutes

His grandfather was Moses Mendelssohn, one of Germany’s most influential Enlightenment thinkers. His father Abraham was one of Berlin’s most successful bankers. As a child, he mingled with Europe’s cultural and intellectual elite at the family house in central Berlin. So it’s probably no surprise that – amid his early immersion in music, painting, literature and philosophy – the young Felix Mendelssohn should quickly develop a passion for Shakespeare.

He and his sister Fanny would act out favourite scenes from the Bard’s plays, and when the family acquired a new German translation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 1826, its stories of lovers and fairies, spells and transformations immediately captured the 17-year-old’s imagination. So much so that he quickly set about transforming the play into music, completing his overture on 6 August the same year.

It’s a remarkably assured achievement for a 17-year-old, but Mendelssohn was already something of an old hand: he’d composed 12 string symphonies between the ages of 12 and 14, and his glorious Octet at 16. The overture is intended for the concert hall rather than the theatre, and doesn’t set out to tell the play’s story. Nonetheless, its spellbinding opening chords invite listeners into a world of magic and mystery, complete with the braying of Bottom the ass and the scampering of fairy feet.

^{Programme note © David Kettle}

1  Adagio molto – Allegro con brio
2 Larghetto
3 Scherzo. Allegro
4 Allegro molto

Even before he began work on his First Symphony, Beethoven had begun to lose his hearing. His diary entries reveal problems as early as 1796, and in 1801 he confessed to his friend Franz Wegeler that he had not attended any social functions for two years, ‘just because I find it impossible to say to people: I am deaf.’ Rather than a gradually diminishing ability to perceive sound, Beethoven was plagued by an intense form of tinnitus, in which a loud ringing in his ears obscured all external sounds. Over time, his affliction worsened and Beethoven was left with almost no hearing at all by 1816.

This is the startling backdrop to the Second Symphony, a work so sunny in its demeanour that it is almost impossible to imagine how Beethoven suffered during its composition. The symphony was composed in 1802 while Beethoven convalesced in the small village of Heiligenstadt – now famous as the location of his ‘Heiligenstadt Testament’, a desperate letter which he addressed to his brothers:

‘For six years now I have been hopelessly afflicted, made worse by senseless physicians, from year to year deceived with hopes of improvement, finally compelled to face the prospect of a lasting malady (whose cure will take years or, perhaps, be impossible) … My misfortune is doubly painful to me because I am bound to be misunderstood; for me there can be no relaxation with my fellow men, no refined conversations, no mutual exchange of ideas.’

Faced with this unimaginable torment, Beethoven nevertheless resolved to embrace whatever the future might hold for him. ‘Patience, they say, is what I must now choose for my guide, and I have done so …Perhaps I shall get better, perhaps not; I am ready.’

The Second Symphony encapsulates this spirit of defiance and determination, with bold forte chords at the very opening which lead the way to a sunny first theme. Although there are overtones of melancholy in the Larghetto that follows, these fleeting moments are swept away by an overarching sense of calm and optimism. The defiant opening chords of the symphony make a return at the end of this slow movement, bursting through to usher away the minor key excursions and close the movement brightly in the dominant key of A major. A fervent Scherzo follows, replacing the traditional courtly minuet, and bristling with energy and vigour. It is full of vivid dynamic contrasts and elegant solo woodwind writing, paving the way for a dazzling finale which propels the symphony towards a spirited conclusion. A quirky opening offbeat figure drives the energy in the finale, eventually leading to a drawn-out coda of some 150 bars. It was this prolonged conclusion that prompted one critic at the opening performance to describe the movement as ‘a hideously writhing, wounded dragon that refuses to die’ – an apt metaphor for Beethoven’s fiery and determined spirit.

^{Programme note © Jo Kirkbride}

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If you’ve enjoyed the concert today, bring friends and family and come along to this forthcoming concert. As an existing audience member, you can buy tickets for it for £7 using promotion code NOWYOU when buying online.

Symphonic Dances

Thursday 4/6/26, 7.30pm
BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff
Livestream

Friday 5/6/26, 7.30pm
Brangwyn Hall, Swansea

Stravinsky Song of the Nightingale
Brahms Double Concerto
Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances

Ryan Bancroft conductor
Lesley Hatfield violin
Alice Neary cello

CAPTIVATING | VIBRANT | THEATRICAL

Not one to miss, our season finale and Ryan Bancroft’s final concert as BBC NOW’s Principal Conductor. Starting with Stravinsky’s symphonic poem Song of the Nightingale, we then hear from our leader Lesley Hatfield, and former principal cellist Alice Neary, in Brahms’sDouble Concerto. We finish with Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances, his final complete composition, which combines motifs derived from Russian church music with quotes from his own First Symphony.

Book tickets for just £7 using promotion code NOWYOU https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/evr6gw

Biographies

Paweł Kapułaconductor

Paweł Kapuła has been hailed as one of the leading conductors of the younger generation. His fresh, exciting programming demonstrates a high level of creativity and he is building an ever-growing presence in Europe and beyond.

This season he makes debuts with the NDR Radiophilharmonie, Hanover, Staatsorchester Mainz and Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. He returns to the Bodensee and Warsaw Philharmonic orchestras, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra and Espinho Classical Orchestra.

Recent successes include acclaimed debuts with the Gulbenkian Orchestra, Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, Japan Philharmonic at Suntory Hall and the Xi’an and Guiyang Symphony orchestras in China. Previously he has conducted the Ulster Orchestra, Georgian Chamber Orchestra and Württemberg Philharmonic, and now enjoys close working relationships with all of them. Further engagements have seen him conduct the Oslo Opera Orchestra, Basel Symphony Orchestra, Gothenburg Opera Orchestra and Sibiu Philharmonic Orchestra.

In February 2021 he was appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Pomeranian Philharmonic in Bydgoszcz. His work with the orchestra has attracted the attention of other Polish orchestras, among them the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Baltic and Warsaw Philharmonic orchestras.

His latest recording project of all the Beethoven piano concertos with Reed Tetzloff and the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra – made at Prague’s Rudolfinum – has recently been released. He is also an avid champion of neglected Polish composers and has made many recordings of their music for Polish Radio.

Paweł Kapuła received his first piano lessons at the age of seven. He studied conducting with Tadeusz Strugala and Stanisław Krawczyński at Kraków’s Academy of Music. He was a finalist and winner of the Distinction Award at the first Adam Kopyciński Student Conducting Competition in Wrocław in 2013 and is a musicology graduate of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków.

Sterling Elliottcello

Sterling Elliott is acclaimed for his joyous musicianship and is a 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient and the winner of the Senior Division of the 2019 National Sphinx Competition. He has appeared with leading ensembles, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles and New York Philharmonic orchestras, Boston, Dallas and Detroit Symphony orchestras and the Cleveland Orchestra and made an acclaimed debut at last year’s BBC Proms with Edwin Outwater.

This season he makes debuts with the BBC Scottish and Phoenix Symphony orchestras and Buffalo Philharmonic. As featured soloist with the Sphinx Virtuosi, he takes part in a multi-city tour with performances at Carnegie Hall, Shriver Concert Series, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, the Gardner Museum, and Schubert Club and more. As a chamber musician, he continues his residency in the Bowers Program of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, appearing with them at Alice Tully Hall and on tour throughout the United States, as well as in trio performances with Anthony McGill and Gloria Chien.

As the Robey Artist with the Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) he regularly performs throughout the UK and Europe, including at Wigmore Hall, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. In 2024 he was named a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist.
His long association with the Sphinx Organization began when he won the 2014 Junior Division Competition.

Born into a musical household, Sterling Elliott initially wanted to play the violin like his older brother and sister. After a bit of encouragement, he completed the Elliott Family String Quartet, an ensemble that enjoyed personalised arrangements of genres such as bluegrass, gospel and funk.

He is an ambassador of the Young Strings of America, a string sponsorship operated by Shar Music. He performs on a 1741 Gennaro Gagliano cello on loan through the Robert F. Smith Fine String Patron Program, in partnership with the Sphinx Organization.

BBC National Orchestra of Wales

For over 90 years, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the only professional symphony orchestra in Wales, has played an integral part in the cultural landscape of the country, occupying a distinctive role as both a broadcast and national orchestra, and serving as an ambassador of Welsh culture, regularly performing music created in Wales and championing Welsh composers and artists.

Part of BBC Cymru Wales and supported by the Arts Council of Wales, BBC NOW performs a busy schedule of concerts and broadcasts, working with acclaimed conductors and soloists from across the world, including its Principal Conductor, the award-winning Ryan Bancroft.

The orchestra is committed to working in partnership with community groups and charities, taking music out of the concert hall and into settings such as schools and hospitals to enable others to experience and be empowered by music. It undertakes workshops, concerts and side-by-side performances to inspire and encourage the next generation of performers, composers and arts leaders, and welcomes thousands of young people and community members annually through its outreach and education projects.

BBC NOW performs annually at the BBC Proms and biennially at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, and its concerts can be heard regularly across the BBC – on Radio 3, Radio Wales and Radio Cymru. On screen, music performed by BBC NOW can be heard widely across the BBC and other global channels, including the soundtrack and theme tune for Doctor Who, Planet Earth III, Prehistoric Planet, The Pact and Children in Need.

Based at BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff Bay, BBC NOW utilises a state-of-the-art recording studio with a camera system for livestreams and TV broadcasts to bring BBC NOW’s music to a broader audience across Wales and the world. For more information about BBC NOW please visit bbc.co.uk/now

BBC National Orchestra of Wales

Patron
HM King Charles III ^{KG KT PC GCB}
Principal Conductor
Ryan Bancroft
PrincipalGuest Conductor
Jaime Martín
Composer-in-Association
Gavin Higgins

First Violins
Martin Gwilym-Jones sub-leader
Gwenllian Hâf MacDonald
Terry Porteus
Anna Cleworth
Žanete Uškāne
Kerry Gordon-Smith
Ruth Heney **
Alejandro Trigo
Carmel Barber
Jane Sinclair
Paul Mann
Claudia Fuller

Second Violins
Anna Smith *
Kirsty Lovie #
Sheila Smith
Roussanka Karatchivieva
Beverley Wescott
Lydia Caines **
Katherine Miller
Vickie Ringguth
Michael Topping
Joseph Williams

Violas
Rebecca Jones *
Tetsuumi Nagata
Peter Taylor
Anna Growns
Laura Sinnerton
Catherine Palmer
Lydia Abell
Dáire Roberts

Cellos
Sebastian Comberti ‡
Raphael Lang
Sandy Bartai
Carolyn Hewitt
Rachel Ford
Keith Hewitt

Double Basses
David Stark *
Dan Cleave
Cole Morrison
Christopher Wescott

Flutes
Matthew Featherstone *
John Hall †

Oboes
Steve Hudson *
Russell Coates

Clarinets
Lenny Sayers +**
William White

Bassoons
Jarosław Augustyniak *
Patrick Bolton

Horns
Tim Thorpe *
Meilyr Hughes

Trumpets
Philippe Schartz *
Robert Samuel

Tuba
Grady Hasan

Timpani
Steve Barnard *

* Section Principal
† Principal
‡ Guest Principal
# Assistant String Principal

The list of players was correct at the time of publication

Director Lisa Tregale
Orchestra Manager Liz Williams
Assistant Orchestra Manager Nick Olsen **
Orchestra Personnel ManagerKevin Myers
Orchestra and Operations CoordinatorEleanor Hall
Business Coordinator Georgia Dandy **
Head of Artistic Planning and ProductionGeorge Lee
Artists and Projects Manager Victoria Massocchi **
Orchestra Librarian Naomi Roberts **
Producer Mike Sims
Broadcast Assistant Emily Preston
Head of Marketing and Audiences Sassy Hicks
Marketing Coordinator Angharad Muir–Davies (maternity cover)
Digital Producer Angus Race
Social Media Coordinator Harriet Baugh
Marketing Apprentice Mya Clayden
Education Producer Beatrice Carey
Education Producer/Chorus Manager Rhonwen Jones
SeniorAudio Supervisors Simon Smith, Andrew Smillie
Production Business Manager Lisa Blofeld
Stage and Technical Manager Josh Mead +
Assistant Stage and Technical Manager Richie Basham

+ Green Team member
** Diversity & Inclusion Forum