Autumn Concert Caecilia Camerata

Caecilia Camerata's autumn concert features three works: Mahler's Blumine, Tchaikovsky's Mélancolie Sérénade with concertmaster Lothar Blom as soloist, and Bizet's Symphony in C. Conducted by Jasper de Waal.

Mahler's Blumine (1884) was inspired by the popular German poem 'Der Trompeter von Säckingen'. After four soft introductory measures, a lyrical trumpet takes over with a yearning, dreamy theme. The piece lasts about eight minutes and is notably restrained - the tension and unrest that would later become so characteristic of Mahler are absent here.

Tchaikovsky's Mélancolie Sérénade (1875) breathes the atmosphere of Russian folk music, with sustained dark bass tones and consoling melancholy. Soft, plucking strings form a rhythmic foundation over which the solo violinist plays a somber melody - ten minutes that evoke the slow movement of an unfinished violin concerto.

Bizet's Symphony in C (1855) was written when he was seventeen, in the style of Mozart and Haydn. The work stands out for its grace and orchestral mastery, without the pretension that often marks youthful compositions.