The Full Works Concert - Monday 5 January 2015, 8pm

Among the favourite pieces tonight, Jane Jones has a preview of the new album from the brilliant pianist Ji Liu.

Tonight Jane Jones has a preview of the brand new album from the most successful Breakthrough Classical Artist of 2014: the pianist Ji Liu. He's playing three beautiful standards by George Gershwin, arranged for piano by the great American pianist Earl Wild.

Also tonight; a particularly fine performance of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. The work was published in 1725 in a set of twelve concertos titled, 'The Test of Harmony and Invention'. The four concertos representing each of the seasons especially appealed to French audiences. For example, King Louis XV reportedly ordered 'Spring' to be performed at some unexpected moments. Vivaldi also wrote individual poetic sonnets to go along with each concerto of the Four Seasons which are sometimes read along with performances of the work.

Also tonight, the much-missed Colin Davis conducts the music of Mozart, and we’ll enjoy one of Beethoven’s finest curtain-raisers.

Ludwig van Beethoven: Fidelio, Overture
David Zinman conducts the Tonhalle Orchestra, Zurich

Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Rinaldo Alessandrini conducts Concerto Italiano

George Gershwin: The Man I Love, Embraceable You, I Got Rhythm
Piano: Ji Liu

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Serenade No.9 in D major, ‘Posthorn’
Colin Davis conducts the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra