Saint-Saëns: The Assassination of the Duke of Guise (film music)
Takemitsu: Three Film Scores
Kerry: Flute Concerto, ‘Captain Flinders’ Musick’ (world premiere: Commissioned by the Ian Potter Cultural Trust)
Shostakovich: Suite from New Babylon Op.18 (film music)

Olari Elts: conductor; Alison Mitchell: flute

Shostakovich wrote his brilliantly witty and sophisticated film score to accompany New Babylon, a 1928 satire set in the Paris Commune in 1871. He relishes his pastiches of Parisian popular classics – especially Offenbach – treading a fine line between homage and parody. Opening the evening is a fascinating rarity: Saint-Saëns, composer of Carnival of the Animals, writing one of the first ever film scores! Gordon Kerry is a prestigious voice from Australia, where he was recently awarded the country’s top composition award, the Ian Potter Music Commissions. He used part of his prize to write this concerto for the SCO’s charismatic Principal Flute.

www.sco.org.uk