CBSO concert conducted by François Leleux with Debussy, Gipps and Berlioz, including his Symphonie fantastique.
The CBSO are at Symphony Hall on Wednesday 21 October, with François Leleux taking the double role of conductor and soloist. It's a programme that opens and closes with two revolutionary works, and with Leleux on both the podium and the English horn, he's steering the whole evening.
The first half belongs to Debussy. His Prélude caused quite a stir at its 1899 premiere with its sensual evocation of an afternoon in the sun, and his later Rhapsodie is written for the English horn, which Leleux will play himself. In between, there's Gipps' Sinfonietta, a lush, lyrical piece that stands as a tribute to the beauty of the wind section. It's a good spot to hear the woodwinds get their own moment in the light.
The second half is the big one: Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique. It was composed decades before any of the other pieces on the bill and remains one of the most outrageous, genre-busting works in the repertoire. It's a long, dramatic symphony that doesn't play by the rules, and it's the piece that gives the whole concert its title.
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Between the three composers, the evening runs about two hours. Tickets are £27.50 to £65.50, and under-16s need to be accompanied by an adult. The concert starts at 19:00 at Symphony Hall, B1 2EA.
