BRISTOL ORCHESTRAL PLAYERS

​Notes from our Music Director, Nicola Ashton, about our 2026/27 Programme

​​

As always, most of this year's programme is made up of pieces requested by members of the orchestra.

​

Beethoven Symphony no 8 in F major

​

Beethoven sketched his eighth symphony at the same time as his seventh, and the two were written back-to-back. It’s a long-standing, and possibly unfair, cliché that Beethoven’s even-numbered symphonies are tame in comparison with the game-changing odd numbers. The eighth suffered unfavourably from comparison with the emotional and epic seventh when it premiered – but that does this great symphony a disservice.

​

Within a tight, more conventional symphonic framework, we’ll explore Beethoven’s boisterous spirit, sense of humour, and ability to keep us on our toes at all times. There are twists and turns, ‘wrong’ notes and rhythmic games - and plenty of glorious music to explore. The first movement shows us to expect the unexpected. The second may (or may not) be a humorous homage to the metronome. There’s both humour and lyricism in the third movement, and then Beethoven unleashes a fourth movement which features a persistent, ‘misplaced’ C# and a knowingly overblown coda.

​

Beethoven was once asked why his eighth symphony was less loved than his seventh. His reply? “Because the eighth is so much better!” Come and explore this fantastic work and judge for yourself.

​​

Weber Overture to Der Freischütz 

​ 

Carl Maria von Weber was one of the founding fathers of German opera, and Der Freischütz (The Marksman) is seen by many as the work which established operatic romanticism in Germany.

​

The opera tells the story of a hunter who is desperate to win a shooting contest and win the hand of the woman he wants to marry. He is persuaded by his rival to sell his soul to the devil in return for a set of silver bullets which never miss. The twist: the seventh bullet belongs to the devil, and his rival intends to use it to kill the woman he loves. A classic story of good against evil ensues.

​

The overture takes the themes from the opera and blends them into a cohesive work that set a new direction for operatic overtures. An opening horn chorale leads us into dark and dramatic music as good battles evil, until we end (spoiler alert) with a triumphant finale as good prevails.

​​​

Brahms Symphony no 4 in E minor

​​

Brahms’ final symphony is a masterpiece, full of warmth and beauty but also bleak darkness. Intense and deep – don’t expect an easy emotional ride, but this music is worth everything it demands of us.

​

The opening of movement one is a hauntingly beautiful sigh - interrupted by a fanfare, which forms a recurring theme throughout this movement. Brahms composed in the Alps, and you can hear epic landscapes in the long lines of his melodies in this movement. At times heroic, at others unsettled and dark, this movement is an emotional rollercoaster.

​

The second movement opens with a soft horn call before becoming a tender and nostalgic andante. This is gorgeous music, blossoming into beautiful, rich orchestration which is truly magical. Brahms becomes surprisingly, uncharacteristically, jolly for the third movement. It’s lively, witty – and features some joyful triangle playing!

​

The jollity doesn’t last long, however, and the fourth movement opens with another ominous fanfare. Brahms builds his music on the bassline of eight bars from a Bach cantata. The words from the original cantata were “All my days which pass in suffering God ends at last in joy” – and we’re back into a movement which is tortured and bleak in places and builds to a ferocious conclusion.​​

​

​

Borodin 'In the Steppes of Central Asia' 

​​

Borodin included a beautifully descriptive note in his score, so I will leave him to provide his own programme notes here: “Out of the silence of Central Asia come the sounds of a peaceful Russian song. There are heard, too, the melancholy strains of Eastern melodies and the stamping of approaching horses and camels. A caravan, escorted by Russian soldiers, crosses the measureless desert, pursuing its way, free from care, under the protection of Russian arms. The caravan moves ever forward. The songs of the Russians and those of the Asia locals mingle in common harmony, their refrain gradually dying away in the distance.”

​​​​

Schubert Overture in E minor D648

​​

Schubert wrote his Overture in E Minor in 1819. It’s unusually intense for Schubert, darker than we might expect from his usual style, but still includes some lovely lyrical moments particularly in the middle section. Together the Schubert and Borodin will present a lovely evening of musical contrasts and colours.​

​

Schumann Symphony no 3 in E flat major ('Rhenish')

 

​Schumann’s third symphony was written at an unusually happy time in an often troubled life. Schumann and his family had just relocated to Düsseldorf, and Schumann was initially very enthusiastic about the move and his new role, enjoying the whirlwind of social activity that welcomed them. The symphony is Schumann’s response to the landscapes and culture of the Rhineland – although he never actually gave it the name ‘Rhenish’, which was added later by his publishers. It’s a warm, expansive symphony, written in five movements instead of the usual four. On our tour of Rhineland, we’ll meet a bold, energetic opening movement, a relaxed, dancing second movement, and an intimate and graceful third. The fourth movement changes the emotional tone, with music that is solemn and dignified - said to have been inspired by a trip to Cologne cathedral. Finally, the fifth movement gives us a burst of renewed energy and drive towards a jubilant finish.

​

Strauss Jr Overture to Die Fledermaus​

 

Die Fledermaus (the bat) is a comic operetta which spins a convoluted story of mistaken identities. The overture is sparkling, witty, and knits together the most memorable tunes from the operetta into a work that bubbles with energy and dance.

​

Dvorak Festival March 

 

​Written as the introduction to a gala performance at a theatre in Prague, this has a ceremonial feel and is perfect to open our summer concert with a fanfare flourish.

​

Humperdinck Hansel and Gretel Overture

 

​The opener to Humperdinck’s fairytale opera, this overture sets the mood for the story to follow. From the serene, dream-like brass chorale, through light-hearted dances and into a triumphant close, it is wonderful both to play and to listen to. 

​

Saint-Saëns Danse Macabre

 

​Based on a poem by Henri Cazalis, Saint-Saëns’ music tells the story of gruesome events in a churchyard on All Hallows’ Eve. As the clock strikes midnight, the cloaked figure of Death appears and calls on the skeletons to dance to the waltz he plays on his violin. The solo violin tunes the E string down a semitone to create a diminished fifth chord with the A string – an interval known as the ‘devil in music’ during the Middle Ages. As the story unfolds, the night culminates in a wild dance – until the cock crows (from the oboe) to herald the approaching dawn. The skeletons disappear for another year, and Death departs.

.

Beethoven (arr. Julian Dale) Variations in D

 

We are lucky enough to have another tailor-made arrangement by Julian Dale. Since 2027 marks 200 years since Beethoven’s death, it is fitting to include his music in our summer concert.

​

Carwithen Suffolk Suite

 

Doreen Carwithen was a British composer of classical and film music. She wrote scores for over 30 films, despite stepping away from composition for a large period of her life to act as secretary to her husband, William Alwyn. Her Suffolk Suite is an evocative suite comprising four movements: The Prelude, Orford Ness, Suffolk Morris and Framlingham Castle. These develop tunes the composer originally used in her music for the film ‘East Anglia Holiday’.

​

Schubert Symphony no 8 (Unfinished)

 

In many ways, this symphony needs little introduction. Despite only being two movements long, Schubert packs in so much beautiful, emotional and surprisingly dramatic music, that it feels entirely complete. The manuscript wasn’t discovered until almost 40 years after Schubert’s death, and we will never know why he didn’t complete it (there is a sketch for the third movement but nothing more). We may not have a full symphony, but what we do have is music with huge warmth and beauty, melodies that linger long after you have finished playing them, and enough dark and light to make this a fantastic work to explore in detail.   

​