Sakari Oramo conducts Hillborg, Mendelssohn and Stravinsky

Rites of spring: Stravinsky, Hillborg and a spectacular Mendelssohn rediscovery from Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. The ice thaws on the Harz mountains and as the sap rises, primal passions surge. A colourful retelling of pagan German myth, The First Walpurgisnacht isn’t what you might expect from a composer as familiar as Mendelssohn. But prepare to be surprised (and thrilled) tonight, as Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus unleash romantic music’s original rite of spring. There’s only one way to follow that, of course, and Stravinsky’s shattering ballet is the explosive climax to a concert filled with raw instincts and untamed rhythms. “It’s spring for the viola”, too – in the words of one critic – and Anders Hillborg’s wildly imaginative new viola concerto is the perfect counterpart to Mendelssohn and Stravinsky, especially when played by its dedicatee, the fearless Lawrence Power. Programme Felix Mendelssohn The First Walpurgisnacht Anders Hillborg Viola Concerto Igor Stravinsky The Rite of Spring Performers Sakari Oramo conductor Beth Taylor alto Benjamin Bruns tenor TBC baritone TBC bass Lawrence Power viola BBC Symphony Orchestra BBC Symphony Chorus