Before 1914, England was powerful and admired. But its musical culture was deemed unoriginal. This concert reveals an explosion of creative energy in music in Britain by highlighting works by some of the first modern British composers, including a suite from a film of H.G. Wells’ apocalyptic predictions, the volcanic eruption of a brass band, and a masterwork by a composer whose music came to embody the fortitude of the 20th century British character.Read the Playbill for this concert. (©Playbill, Inc.)

Maestro Leon Botstein shares the stories behind the music in a lively 30-minute Conductor’s Notes Q&A at 7 PM in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. Free for all ticket holders.

Concert Notes

Beyond Britten: English Music in the 20th Century
by Leon Botstein

Sir Arthur Bliss, Things to Come, Suite
by Byron Adams

Frank Bridge, Phantasm
by Byron Adams

Robert Simpson, Volcano
by Byron Adams

William Walton, Symphony No. 2
by Byron Adams