BBC Philharmonic – Rise and Shine at The Bridgewater Hall

Leslie Suganandarajah conductor
Eldbjørg Hemsing violin

Mozart Symphony No. 25 in G minor
Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor
Strauss Also sprach Zarathustra

Both Elvis Presley and Stanley Kubrick were partial to a (Richard) Strauss sunrise, and his early morning wake-up call for Zarathustra gives us one of music’s most glorious openings ever. The rest of it isn’t half bad either. Strauss’s take on Nietzsche is philosophy “lite” but “full fat” on flair. Gregorian chant, mathematical puzzles and an uplifting Viennese waltz are all whizzed up in a blender to create one of the most sumptuous orchestral pieces ever written. We rewind to the delight of Mozart – the melodies in this symphony are as characterful as anything he wrote in his operas. And taking centre stage is Bruch’s First Violin Concerto – rich melodies, dazzling folk rhythms and a glorious slow movement are just some of the reasons why this Romantic giant repeatedly tops the Classical charts.