Song and Dance
Location: Poole
Date: 28-04-2010
Time: 19:30
Venue Details: Lighthouse
Works Performed
- Weber (orch. Berlioz) : Invitation to the Dance
- Berlioz : Les nuits d'ete
- Beethoven : Symphony No.7
Performers
- Conductor : Kees Bakels
- Soloist: Kate Royal (Soprano)
Invitation to the Dance is often credited as the first concert waltz, written by Weber in 1819. Although not written to dance to, it retains all the rhythmic charm of the popular yet risqué dance hall original. Weber’s own outline of the work paraphrases the music with snippets like “the lady’s evasive reply - his pressing invitation - her consent.”
Iridescently scored, Les nuits d’été is an exquisite collection of six poems which are some of the most ravishing songs in the repertoire. These are love songs of the highest Romantic order with countless images of buoyant hope, insatiable longing, and heartbreak.
Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony's appeal is not hard to understand. The ambition of the first movement, beauty of the second, the breathlessness of the scherzo, and relentless energy of the finale never fail to impress audiences. Its dance elements, vitality, and almost frenzied sense of celebration are conveyed principally through rhythm – the “apotheosis of the dance itself” as described by Wagner.
“Kate Royal is well on her way to establishing herself as one of the finest sopranos to have emerged in Britain for some years.”
The Guardian
