SCO 26/27: Tchaikovsky Serenade

Andrew Manze (conductor) Amalie Stalheim (cello) Principal Guest Conductor Andrew Manze leads the SCO in an eloquent programme that spans centuries and styles, from Nordic refinement to Russian Romanticism. We begin with Lars-Erik Larsson’s Lyric Fantasy, a graceful and atmospheric work that complements Anders Hillborg’s bold and imaginative Cello Concerto. The soloist is the brilliant Amalie Stalheim, whose virtuosity brings out the work’s striking contrasts as well as moments of delicate intimacy and dazzling flair. Stalheim then returns for Tchaikovsky’s elegant Rococo Variations, a sparkling tribute to 18th-century style and to close, Andrew Manze conducts Tchaikovsky’s beloved Serenade, a masterpiece of soaring melodies and lyrical depth.