Bancroft conducts Also sprach Zarathustra

The opening of Also sprach Zarathustra might be one of the most recognisable in classical music. But there’s much more to this exhilarating work than its 2001: A Space Odyssey fame. In its half-hour span, Strauss takes us on a philosophical journey exploring the meaning of life. With blazing brass and sumptuous strings, he creates a listening experience full of intense feeling. It’s a real highlight of the orchestral repertoire – a chance for American conductor Ryan Bancroft and the fantastic musicians of the Philharmonia Orchestra to show off the renowned Philharmonia sound.

To open the concert, Bancroft has chosen one of the best-loved pieces by his compatriot Charles Ives. Ives’s quest for the meaning of life is much gentler and more diffident than Strauss’s – over ethereal strings, a solo trumpet asks the ‘question’ of the title. Four flutes suggest tentative answers, but in the end it’s the sound of the trumpet that hangs in the air.

Between the two, award-winning American pianist Michelle Cann makes her Royal Festival Hall debut. A recent reviewer noted: ‘The audience fell in love with her…and it was obvious from her walk-on applause from the orchestra that the musicians had fallen in love with her, too.’ (Buffalo Rising). She brings her flawless technique and joyous energy to Beethoven’s playful Piano Concerto No. 4.