The Full Works Concert - Wednesday 22 October 2014, 8pm

There's magnificent music from Mozart, Saint-Saens, Handel, Zipoli in tonight's Concert, and a rarely performed masterpiece by Novák.

Mozart's Symphony No.40 is arguably the most popular of all of his 41 symphonies. It has one of the catchiest opening movements of any symphony, too, which helps. The work was said to have soon come to the attention of Beethoven, of all people. As well as paying homage to its composition by writing out passages in his own hand, it is thought that Beethoven was inspired by Mozart's last movement when he wrote his own Fifth Symphony.

Saint-Saens wrote his Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor in just three weeks, and had very little time to prepare for its premiere - consequently, the piece was not initially successful. The quirky changes in style provoked one critic to say that it 'begins with Bach and ends with Offenbach.' 

Vítezslav Novák was inspired by Slovak songs and folk tunes that he heard while travelling through Moravia. His Slovak Suite of 1903 consists of five movements depicting the Moravian countryside. The opening movement At Church - a Classic FM favourite - captures the mood of a country church, and makes magnificent use of the organ.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No.40 in G minor K.550
Colin Davis conducts the Staatskapelle Dresden 

George Frideric Handel: Organ Concerto in F major HWV.293
Organ: Paul Nicholson 
Roy Goodman conducts the Brandenburg Consort

Camille Saint-Saens: Piano Concerto No.2 in G minor Opus 22
Piano: Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Charles Dutoit conducts the Orchestra of the Suisse Romande

Vitezslav Novak: Slovak Suite
Libor Pesek conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Domenico Zipoli: Elevazione
Cello: Robert Truman
Robert Haydon Clark conducts the Consort of London