Afternoon Performance: Britten’s Les Illuminations

We are invited to experience three distinct soundworlds that move from contemporary observation to early twentieth-century operatic grandeur. The afternoon opens with Jasper Eaglesfield’s No garden, no flowers, providing a recent perspective on orchestral textures. You will then hear Benjamin Britten’s Les illuminations, a song cycle that sets the surreal and colourful French poetry of Arthur Rimbaud. Listen for how the solo soprano voice interacts with the string orchestra, alternating between frantic energy and moments of still, ethereal beauty. To conclude the performance, the mood shifts towards the decadence of Vienna with a suite from Richard Strauss’s opera Der Rosenkavalier. This final work is defined by its sweeping melodies and rich, late-Romantic orchestration. The sequence of pieces allows you to follow a path from the crisp clarity of the Britten settings to the lush, dance-like momentum of the Strauss waltzes, providing a varied and engaging experience of the modern orchestral palette.

The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is the resident ensemble at the Glasgow City Halls, well-regarded for its commitment to both core repertoire and new music. In this performance, they are led by conductor Ryan Wigglesworth, who brings his experience as a composer-conductor to the podium. Joining them is the soprano Erika Baikoff, known for her clarity of tone and expressive range in the song cycle repertoire. Together, they represent a partnership that balances the technical demands of contemporary writing with the expansive emotional requirements of the Strauss suite.

This performance takes place at Glasgow City Halls and is scheduled to last approximately 120 minutes. Given the variety of the music, including the popular waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier, the afternoon is well-suited to regular concert-goers and first-timers alike. The Britten cycle is sung in French; however, as this is an orchestral concert rather than a staged opera, you should check your programme on arrival for translated texts. There is no specific dress code for this venue, though most attendees opt for smart-casual attire.