London Philharmonic Orchestra

Richard Strauss: Excerpts from Die Frau ohne Schatten
Interval
Alexander Von Zemlinsky: A Florentine Tragedy - opera in 1 act
(performed in German with English surtitles)

An evening of operatic drama with Vladimir Jurowski.

Entranced and inspired by Oscar Wilde's dark, death-ridden play, Alexander Zemlinsky conjured up his most colourful orchestral canvas in the one-act opera A Florentine Tragedy.

Puccini claimed Zemlinsky's most overtly Straussian score was 'a rival to Salome but more human - more real.' The narrative of infidelity and rapprochement wasn't lost on Zemlinsky's former lover Alma Schindler, who was outraged when she saw the Vienna premiere.

Zemlinsky might not have found that ever-elusive fame and fortune with his opera, but he poured his all into it, revealing more about the troublesome Alma than any of her former lovers would dare.

Free pre-concert talk, 6.15pm until 6.45pm, Royal Festival Hall
A discussion on the music of Zemlinsky with David Trendell, College Organist and Senior Lecturer in Music at King's College London.

London Philharmonic Orchestra
Vladimir Jurowski conductor
Heike Wessels mezzo-soprano, Bianca, Simone's wife
Sergei Skorokhodov tenor, Guido Bardi, Prince of Florence
Albert Dohmen baritone, Simone, a merchant