Performance on 3 - Britten Sinfonia - Shostakovich, MacMillan, Beethoven

Presented by Martin Handley. James MacMillan conducts James MacMillan, as the Scottish composer takes to the rostrum for the world premiere of his Oboe Concerto, written for soloist Nicholas Daniel and the Britten Sinfonia. Also in the programme, Shostakovich's reaction to the Allied bombing of Dresden, his 8th String Quartet re-arranged for string orchestra as his Chamber Symphony by Rudolf Barshai; and Beethoven's Symphony No. 2, another piece marked with personal sadness as it was written when the composer's deafness became more and more apparent. Recorded at Birmingham Town Hall: SHOSTAKOVICH arr. BARSHAI: Chamber Symphony JAMES MACMILLAN: Oboe Concerto (World premiere) BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36 Britten Sinfonia Nicholas Daniel, oboe James MacMillan, conductor Followed by this week's continuing focus on classical music as seen through the eyes of Venezuelan performers. Today, more from the Simón Bolívar String Quartet, a spin-off ensemble from the remarkable El Sistema network, recorded last month at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. Among the works they perform is Brahms String Quartet in A minor, Op.51 No.2.