‘Belgian National Orchestra’

Carl Maria von Weber’s triumphant Concerto for Bassoon is one of the most important pieces ever written for this instrument. Weber was an opera composer, and able to perfectly exploit the wide range of characters and moods that this wonderful instrument can evoke. Gordon Fantini, principal bassoonist with the Belgian National Orchestra, takes on the role of soloist for this public-holiday performance. Everyone will recognise the Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. It is taken from the enchanting, four-part suite he wrote based on music for A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare’s, the writer for whom the composer had a lifelong obsession. His Fifth Symphony, nicknamed the 'Reformation Symphony', was the result of a completely different inspiration, and loaded with references to the Lutheran faith.