Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra - Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2

During his 24-year tenure at the helm of Manchester’s Hallé Orchestra, Mark Elder commissioned a work from the composer James MacMillan that would celebrate the power of music itself.

Timotheus, Bacchus and Cecilia sets the words of John Dryden’s iconic poem in praise of St Cecilia, a text full of rich imagery incorporating fiery dragons, flying fingers and radiant spires. The result is a thrilling drama in sound for large orchestra and mixed chorus, a piece Sir Mark chose to perform in his his last concert as the Hallé’s Music Director.

MacMillan’s full-blooded celebratory work forms the centerpiece of our season finale at the Grieg Hall, which opens with Brahms’s noble homage to his forbear Haydn and concludes with Sibelius’s masterful synthesis of symphony and storytelling. The Finnish composer’s Lemminkäinen Suite channels the spirit and sound of his nation’s folklore in recounting the tale of a dashing young hero who proves his prowess in life and even defies death - with music every bit as gripping as you’d expect.