Echoes of France

Jean Sibelius
Pelléas et Mélisande – suite 29’

Maurice Ravel
Piano Concerto for the Left Hand 19’

INTERVAL: 15 minutes

Ernest Chausson
Symphony in B flat major 30’

Clelia Cafiero conductor
Nicholas McCarthy piano

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This concert is being recorded by BBC Radio 3 for future broadcast in Classical Live; it will be available for 30 days after broadcast via BBC Sounds, where you can also find podcasts and music mixes.

1 At the Castle Gate
2  Mélisande
3 At the Seashore
4 A Spring in the Park
5 The Three Blind Sisters
6 Pastorale
7 Mélisande at the Spinning Wheel
8 Entr’acte
9 The Death of Mélisande

Maurice Maeterlinck’s tragic Symbolist play Pelléas et Mélisande is rarely seen in theatres today, but it cast a peculiarly long shadow over composers at the turn of the 20th century. Gabriel Fauré scored the first London production in 1898, four years before Claude Debussy completed the final version of his landmark opera and Arnold Schoenberg started work on his symphonic poem. Jean Sibelius got in on the act soon after, writing music for a Helsinki production and then reworking it into this nine-part concert suite.

After the grand swells of the opening, which has found a 64-years-and-counting afterlife as the theme to BBC TV’s The Sky at Night, we meet the woman at the centre of the play’s love triangle: married to one man but soon to fall in love with his brother. The doomed lovers meet by the sea (to a decidedly ominous soundtrack) and in the park (to a jaunty waltz), before Mélisande’s hopes of happiness start to fade – and then, in ‘Mélisande at the Spinning Wheel’, appear to come crashing down entirely. The oddly perky ‘Entr’acte’ (originally the prelude to the play’s penultimate act) feels shipped in from another piece entirely, before Sibelius brings things to a suitably yearning yet tragic conclusion. No happy endings here.

^{Programme note © Will Fulford-Jones}

Lento – Più lento – Allegro – Più vivo ed accelerando – Tempo primo – Allegro

Nicholas McCarthy piano

Ravel’s Concerto for the Left Hand resulted from a commission by the Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein (brother of the philosopher) who lost his right arm during the First World War. Although Ravel was already working on the G major Piano Concerto when he met Wittgenstein during a visit to Vienna in March 1929, he threw himself vigorously into the project, composing both concertos simultaneously. Completed in 1930, the Left-Hand Concerto was premiered in Vienna on 5 January 1932 only days before the Paris premiere of the G major Concerto. Ravel conducted the Paris premiere of the Left Hand Concerto with Wittgenstein as soloist in January 1933.

While both concertos owe much to Ravel’s love of jazz, the Left Hand Concerto differs from the G major not only in its rhapsodic single-movement form but also in its dark, brooding character. A sense of mystery and foreboding is present from the outset. Opening in the depths of the orchestra with almost imperceptible rumbling of double basses and cellos, a growling contrabassoon creeps in with the first theme followed by a yearning motif on the horns, also low in their register. These two ideas build the orchestral introduction which expands through the instrumental registers in an extended crescendo that reaches a climax with the first piano entry in a dramatic solo cadenza.

Although writing for only one hand, Ravel wanted to give the impression of a full sonority as if writing for two. The piano cadenza, which establishes the work’s tonic key of D major, reveals a dazzling new approach to pianism that characterises the whole concerto; the full range of the keyboard is explored through a combination of athletic leaps (often in quick succession), cascading chords, expansive arpeggiations and juxtaposition of extremes of register, all richly resonated with the sustaining pedal. Melodic lines are deftly voiced through the shape of the left hand itself, with the thumb ideally positioned to emphasise the tops of chords.

Following the yearning lyricism of the first section, a march-like Allegro presents a dramatic contrast in terms of mood, texture and key (E major). Percussive, energetic and with an obsessive ostinato (repeated phrase) throughout, the Allegro juxtaposes three main ideas: cascading triplet chords (first announced fortissimo by a trio of trumpets), a jazzy chromatic chordal motif and a jaunty main theme in staccato triplets. The relentlessly driving rhythms create the effect of a prolonged moto perpetuo which is eventually interrupted by the dramatic return of the theme from the opening slow section. Following the piano’s long final cadenza, a brief return of the Allegro material provides a climactic conclusion.

^{Programme note © Caroline Rae}

INTERVAL: 15 minutes

1 Lent – Allegro vivo
2  Très lent
3  Animé

With its sweeping lyricism and an overarching sense of fluidity Chausson’s sole Symphony echoes the elegant swirls and extended lines of the Art Nouveau movement. He embarked on the workin 1889at the suggestion of his wife’s brother-in-law, Impressionist painter Henry Lerolle (1848–1929), to whom the work is dedicated. Chausson’s reworkings, deletions and additions to the manuscript score clearly demonstrate his self-doubt during the symphony’s composition and he turned to his colleagues for advice and reassurance. The premiere took place on 18 April 1891, performed by the Société Nationale de Musique under Chausson’s direction.

Chausson was a disciple of César Franck and his symphony follows in his footsteps with its seriousness and cyclical form, reintroducing and transforming earlier themes in later movements. Several aspects of the work bear an uncanny resemblance to Franck’s own Symphony in D minor (1886–8), with parallel tonal and formal structures, and the use of a cor anglais solo in the second movement. However, Chausson’s is distinguished by its flexibility resulting in a unity between all three movements. Aside from Franck, Chausson was an ardent admirer of Wagner, even incorporating a visit to Bayreuth to see Parsifal into his honeymoon. Chausson composed his symphony alongside his opera Le roi Arthus (1886–95), which is rich in Wagner-inspired use of leitmotifs. Wagner’s influence also infiltrated the symphony, which bears his hallmark orchestration and harmonic stylings.

Chausson’s symphony may be in a major key but fellow-composer Vincent d’Indy was right when he described it being cloaked by a ‘veil of melancholy’. The lengthy slow introduction to the first movement sets a wistful tone, yet the start of the Allegro vivo, heralded by a flourish in the violins and woodwind, alleviates the intensity with a more sanguine melody, first heard on horn and bassoon before being taken up buoyantly by the orchestra.

The second movement – the source of most angst for the composer – continues this fluctuation between light and dark through two contrasting melodies. Chausson initially withholds the full extent of the first one, an expressive and intense refrain dominated by the strings, which is only heard in full after the brief respite of a more serene and hopeful middle section.

The finale bursts forth with tumultuous strings, summoning the themes heard throughout the work with competing glimpses of both heroism and struggle. After yielding to an understated yet dignified brass chorale, the symphony comes full circle, closing with a statement of the brooding five-note theme which set us forth on the sombre, yet passionate journey.

^{Programme note © Kerry Bunkhall}

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If you’ve enjoyed the concert today, bring friends and family and come along to this forthcoming concert. As an existing audience member, you can buy tickets for it for £7 using promotion code NOWYOU when buying online.

Love & Transformation

Thursday 12/3/26, 7.30pm
BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff

Britten An American Overture
Joan Tower Love Letters UK premiere
Weber Symphony No. 2
Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber

Tomas Djupsjöbacka conductor
Steven Banks saxophone

MAGNIFICENT | GRACEFUL | TRANSFORMATORY

Join BBC NOW for an evening that celebrates love, energy and musical transformation. Britten’s thrilling American Overture sets a lively tone, followed by the UK premiere of Joan Tower’s heartfelt Love Letters, performed by outstanding saxophonist Steven Banks. We then journey into Weber’s world, first through the charm and wit of his Second Symphony, before Hindemith’s colourful reimagining of Weber’s melodies in his Symphonic Metamorphosis. It’s a night of bold sounds, touching stories and music that continually reinvents itself.

Book tickets for just £7 using promotion code NOWYOU https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/evr6gw

Biographies

Clelia Cafiero conductor

The Neapolitan conductor Clelia Cafiero first gained international attention with her acclaimed debut at the Chorégies d’Orange in 2023, where she conducted Carmen, more recently stepping in at short notice to conduct the French version of Don Carlos at the Opéra de Paris.

This season she makes numerous prestigious debuts, among them Carmen at Opera Australia, La bohème at the Staatsoper Berlin and La traviata at the Semperoper Dresden. She also returns to English National Opera.

In the concert hall she makes debuts with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, the Orchestre National de France, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and the Malmö, La Monnaie and Lucerne Symphony orchestras. She also returns to the Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie for a series of concerts.

Highlights of last season include debuts at ENO, Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liège, Cincinnati Opera and the Nikikai Opera Foundation in Tokyo, as well as with the Orchestre National de Lyon, Irish National Orchestra and the Festival Napa Valley. 

From 2022 to 2025 she was Principal Guest Conductor of the Opéra de Tours, where she led both opera productions and symphonic concerts.

In recent years, she has conducted Madama Butterfly at the Opéra de Québec; Carmen and La traviata at the Opéra de Marseille; Tosca at the Angers-Nantes Opéra and Opéra de Rennes; and The Barber of Seville at the Opéra de Tours. She has also appeared in concert with the Gulbenkian Orchestra, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de Lorraine and the Orchestra of the Accademia della Scala. 

Clelia Cafiero began her career as a pianist, appearing at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Carnegie Hall, the Royal Albert Hall and the Philharmonie de Paris. Between 2013 and 2019, she worked regularly as a répétiteur at the Teatro alla Scala. She studied piano and conducting at the conservatories in Naples and Milan, as well as at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. She also holds a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Naples.

Nicholas McCarthypiano

Nicholas McCarthy was born in 1989 without his right hand and has gone on to achieve international acclaim as a pianist through talent, determination and a pioneering spirit. He defied expectations to pursue his passion for the piano, culminating in his graduation from the Royal College of Music in 2012 – the first one-handed pianist to graduate in the institution’s 130-year history. In recognition of his achievements, he was awarded Honorary Membership of the Royal College of Music in 2018.

As one of the few professional classical artists with a disability, he is a passionate advocate for the often overlooked left-hand-alone repertoire – a body of work that emerged in the 19th century and expanded significantly following the First World War, when many injured soldiers continued their musical careers through left-hand compositions.

A defining moment in his career came with his performance at the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, where he appeared with the British Paraorchestra and Coldplay, playing live to a global audience of over 500 million. Since then, he has performed extensively worldwide, both in recital and with major orchestras.

Away from the concert stage he is a sought-after motivational speaker, regularly delivering keynote talks for leading global organisations and institutions.

In collaboration with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, he launched the world’s first graded syllabus for one-handed pianists in 2024.

Last season Nicholas McCarthy made debuts with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Bournemouth and London Symphony orchestras, as well as giving his debut recital at the Vienna Konzerthaus. Last summer he made his BBC Proms debut at the Royal Albert Hall, performing Ravel’s Left Hand Concerto with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Mark Wigglesworth.

This season’s highlights include performances with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, his South Korean concerto debut and recital debuts at the Berlin Konzerthaus and The Glasshouse as well as concerto debuts with Aurora Orchestra and the Slovak State Philharmonic.

BBC National Orchestra of Wales

For over 90 years, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the only professional symphony orchestra in Wales, has played an integral part in the cultural landscape of the country, occupying a distinctive role as both a broadcast and national orchestra, and serving as an ambassador of Welsh culture, regularly performing music created in Wales and championing Welsh composers and artists.

Part of BBC Cymru Wales and supported by the Arts Council of Wales, BBC NOW performs a busy schedule of concerts and broadcasts, working with acclaimed conductors and soloists from across the world, including its Principal Conductor, the award-winning Ryan Bancroft.

The orchestra is committed to working in partnership with community groups and charities, taking music out of the concert hall and into settings such as schools and hospitals to enable others to experience and be empowered by music. It undertakes workshops, concerts and side-by-side performances to inspire and encourage the next generation of performers, composers and arts leaders, and welcomes thousands of young people and community members annually through its outreach and education projects.

BBC NOW performs annually at the BBC Proms and biennially at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, and its concerts can be heard regularly across the BBC – on Radio 3, Radio Wales and Radio Cymru. On screen, music performed by BBC NOW can be heard widely across the BBC and other global channels, including the soundtrack and theme tune for Doctor Who, Planet Earth III, Prehistoric Planet, The Pact and Children in Need.

Based at BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff Bay, BBC NOW utilises a state-of-the-art recording studio with a camera system for livestreams and TV broadcasts to bring BBC NOW’s music to a broader audience across Wales and the world. For more information about BBC NOW please visit bbc.co.uk/now

BBC National Orchestra of Wales

Patron
HM King Charles III ^{KG KT PC GCB}
Principal Conductor
Ryan Bancroft
PrincipalGuest Conductor
Jaime Martín
Composer-in-Association
Gavin Higgins

First Violins
Lesley Hatfield leader
Savva Zverev  
Gwenllian Hâf MacDonald
Suzanne Casey  
Carmel Barber  
Kerry Gordon-Smith  
Anna Cleworth  
Ruth Heney **
Žanete Uškāne
Alejandro Trigo
Grace Shepherd
Gary George-Veale
Rowan Patterson
Naomi Warburton 

Second Violins
Anna Smith *
Kirsty Lovie #
Ros Butler
Sheila Smith
Roussanka Karatchivieva
Lydia Caines **
Beverley Wescott
Michael Topping
Katherine Miller
Joseph Williams
Laurence Kempton
Elizabeth Whittam

Violas
Alex Thorndike #
Tetsuumi Nagata
Peter Taylor
Catherine Palmer
Anna Growns
Lydia Abell
Laura Sinnerton
Robert Gibbons
Carl Hill
Lucy Theo

Cellos
Pedro Silva
Jessica Feaver
Sandy Bartai
Rachel Ford
Carolyn Hewitt
Alistair Howes
Keith Hewitt
Kathryn Graham

Double Basses
Sebasian Pennar ‡
Roberto Carillo Garcia
Ketan Curtis
Christopher Wescott
Emma Prince
Nathan Perry

Flutes
Matthew Featherstone *
John Hall †
Lindsey Ellis

Piccolo
Lindsey Ellis †

Oboes
Steve Hudson *
Amy McKean †
Emily Cockbill

Cor anglais
Emily Cockbill

Clarinets
Nicholas Carpenter *
William White
Chris Gibbons
Lenny Sayers **+

E flat Clarinet
William White

Bass Clarinet
Lenny Sayers †**+

Bassoons
Jarosław Augustyniak *
Llinos Owen
David Buckland

Contrabassoon
David Buckland †

Horns
Tim Thorpe *
Meilyr Hughes
Henry Ward
Flora Bain
John Davy

Trumpets
Phillipe Schartz *
Robert Samuel
Corey Morris †
Giovanni Re

Trombones
Donal Bannister*
Dafydd Thomas †

Bass Trombone
Darren Smith †

Tuba
Jonathan Gawn

Timpani
Steve Barnard *

Percussion
Feargus Brennan
Phil Girling
Sarah Mason
Sam Jowett
Heledd Fflur Gwynant

Harps
Elen Hydref
Aisha Palmer

* Section Principal
† Principal
‡ Guest Principal
# Assistant String Principal

The list of players was correct at the time of publication

Director Lisa Tregale
Orchestra Manager Liz Williams
Assistant Orchestra Manager Nick Olsen **
Orchestra Personnel ManagerKevin Myers
Orchestra and Operations CoordinatorEleanor Hall
Business Coordinator Georgia Dandy **
Head of Artistic Planning and ProductionGeorge Lee
Artists and Projects Manager Victoria Massocchi **
Orchestra Librarian Naomi Roberts **
Producer Mike Sims
Broadcast Assistant Emily Preston
Head of Marketing and Audiences Sassy Hicks
Marketing Coordinator Angharad Muir–Davies (maternity cover)
Digital Producer Angus Race
Social Media Coordinator Harriet Baugh
Marketing Apprentice Mya Clayden
Education Producer Beatrice Carey
Education Producer/Chorus Manager Rhonwen Jones
SeniorAudio Supervisors Simon Smith, Andrew Smillie
Production Business Manager Lisa Blofeld
Stage and Technical Manager Josh Mead +
Assistant Stage and Technical Manager Richie Basham

+ Green Team member
** Diversity & Inclusion Forum