An American Overture
The Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ National Orchestra of Wales and conductor Tomas Djupsjöbacka perform Britten, Weber and Hindemith. Stephen Banks joins for the UK premiere of Joan Towers' Love Returns.
The Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ National Orchestra of Wales and conductor Tomas Djupsjöbacka perform Britten's American Overture, Weber's Second Symphony and Hindemith's Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber. Saxophonist Stephen Banks joins the Orchestra as soloist for the UK premiere of Joan Towers' Love Returns.
Presented by Alexandra Humphreys and recorded in Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Hoddinott Hall on the 12th of March.
Britten: An American Overture
Joan Tower: Love Returns
Interval
Weber: Symphony No.2 in C major, J.51
Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber
Steven Banks (Saxophone)
Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ National Orchestra of Wales
Tomas Djupsjöbacka (conductor)
For his debut with the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ National Orchestra of Wales, conductor Tomas Djupsjöbacka brings a programme that celebrates two very different anniversary years. The first half pays tribute to the 250th anniversary of America's signing of the Declaration of Independence, initially with Britten's so-called American Overture, which he wrote for the Cleveland Orchestra while living in the United States during the Second World War. Following this, the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ National Orchestra of Wales will be joined by Stephen Banks for the UK Premiere of a saxophone concerto by American Composer Joan Tower, a piece which was co-commissioned by Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Radio 3. Titled Love Returns, the concerto is set as a theme and variations based on her solo piano piece, Love Letters, which she wrote as a tribute following the death of her husband in 2022.
The second half turns to the music of Carl Maria von Weber, who was born just 10 years after the American Declaration of Independence. To mark his 240th year, the Orchestra play his final symphony, the Second, and Hindemith's Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber. Hindemith took themes from Weber's incidental music to Turandot and four of his piano duets, and while Hindemith kept the themes intact, he expanded on them so greatly as to create a work which is inimitably Hindemith.
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Music Played
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Benjamin Britten
An American Overture
Orchestra: Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Tomas Djupsjöbacka. -
Joan Tower
Love Returns
Performer: Steven Banks. Orchestra: Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Tomas Djupsjöbacka. -
Claude Debussy
Syrinx
Performer: Steven Banks. -
AntonÃn Dvořák
Quartet No 12 in F major, Op 96, 'American' (1st mvt)
Ensemble: Takács Quartet.- Dvorak: String Quartets: Takacs Quartet.
- Decca.
- 6.
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Carl Maria von Weber
Symphony No 2 in C Major, J 51
Orchestra: Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Tomas Djupsjöbacka. -
Paul Hindemith
Symphonic Metamorphosis Of Themes By Carl Maria von Weber
Orchestra: Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Tomas Djupsjöbacka. -
Amy Beach
Piano Quintet in F sharp minor, Op 67
Performer: Garrick Ohlsson. Ensemble: Takács Quartet.- Hyperion.
Broadcast
- Thu 26 Mar 2026 19:30Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Radio 3
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