BBC NOW - Fantastique

DRAMA · AWAKENING · VISION Boulanger D'un matin de printemps (Of a Spring Morning) Schubert Allegretto in C major Beethoven Choral Fantasy in C Minor Interval Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique This programme traces a journey from momentary spring light to one of the most vivid musical imaginations of the nineteenth century. Opening with Lilli Boulanger's D'un matin de printemps, which captures the energy of a spring morning: flickering colours, dancing rhythms, and an unmistakable sense of life in motion. A moment of intimacy follows with Schubert's Allegretto in C major, performed by Steven Osborne. Poised and lyrical, the music speaks with characteristic Schubertian warmth, balancing simplicity with emotional depth. At the heart of the first half is Beethoven's Choral Fantasy, a work as bold as it is unconventional. Written at the last possible moment as the finale to Beethoven's own benef