Nicholas returns to the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall on 1 December, joined by pianist Francesco Piemontesi for a programme of Pre-War Soundscapes. The previous night, they perform the same programme at De Montfort Hall in Leicester.
They play three pieces all composed shortly before the breakout of war, ranging a variety of styles, beginning with Vaughan Williams’ tranquil Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis. Vaughan Williams discovered the Tallis piece in 1908 and his Fantasia was composed in 1910; in the two years between, he studied with Ravel in Paris, whose jazz-influenced Piano Concerto in G (1931) is next in the programme. They close with another English piece: Walton’s powerful Symphony No.1 (1934).
Regular collaborators, Francesco Piemontesi and Nicholas’ previous performances together include the BBC Proms in 2015 with the Aurora Orchestra. Watch a video of their performance here.
Earlier in November, Nicholas conducted the BBC Philharmonic in two studio concerts broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. Listen to the first concert on 9 November, a programme of Britten Les Illuminations with soloist Mary Bevan and Shostakovich Symphony No.5, and the second concert on 11 November, Elgar In the South, Walton Cello Concerto with soloist Leonard Elsenbroich, and Strauss Till Eulenspiegel.