MSO Live from Hamer Hall | Vasily Petrenko Conducts Elgar

Join us live from Melbourne’s Hamer Hall as we bring you music by Elgar, Vaughan Williams and an original work by Matthew Laing. Lauded Russian-British conductor Vasily Petrenko joins the MSO for this varied program inspired by English music and literature across the centuries.
We begin with Vaughan William’s The Wasps, as quirky and playful passages give way to soaring pastoral melodies.
“Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven” is probably the most famous line from John Milton’s epic poem, Paradise Lost. It’s from this 1667 masterpiece that Australian composer Matthew Laing draws inspiration to depict the bassoon, performed by MSO Principal Bassoon Jack Schiller, as a poetic antihero of the orchestra: subjected to heaven; at peace in hell.
Through passages of wistfulness, gusto, spookiness, and soft beauty, Vasily Petrenko, Gramophone’s 2017 Artist of the Year, brings energy and critical accolades to Elgar’s self-described ‘passionate pilgrimage’ of the soul for his second symphony.
07:26 Introduction with Dan Golding and Alice Keath
24:22 Deborah Cheetham - Long Time Living Here
26:24 Vaughan Williams - The Wasps: Overture
39:04 Matthew Laing - Of Paradise Lost, Bassoon Concerto (World premiere of an MSO Commission)
1:33:31 Elgar - Symphony No.2
Featuring
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Vasily Petrenko conductor
Jack Schiller bassoon
Supported by the Victorian Government’s Let’s Stay Connected Fund and the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions.
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[@paullewis2413]

Vasily Petrenko is certainly one of the best of the younger generation of conductors. I’m disappointed that I can’t get tickets for his sold out appearance at this year’s (2024) Proms @ RAH/London as he’s conducting the RPO in Tchaikovsky’s symphonic poem, Francesca de Rimini, one of my favourite works from the Russian master.

[@georgekartezenis6565]

Listening in Springfield, Virginia

[@adam28xx]

Does anyone else find the audio level too low?

[@peterwimsey5904]

Elgar starts 1:26:16 and I think Wasps starts at about 19:20

[@icecreamoverlord]

What is the name of the excerpt at 20:00? It's just on the tip of my tongue...

[@olesyasosnina]

It's Rachmaninoff Symphony No.2, finale