2024 Season
A sensational lineup of classical masterworks including Tchaikovsky, Elgar, Mahler, Grieg, and Britten – and our “Celebration of Verdi” concert at the Brighton Dome in June.
As our 2024 season approaches, excitement is building for an odyssey of sound and fury. The upcoming season will not only revisit familiar repertoire, but will be a rebellion against the banal – a veritable insurrection led by Tchaikovsky, Khachaturian, Britten, Elgar, Verdi, Mahler and Grieg.
We commence in February with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, an audacious flirtation with fate. Born from the throes of Tchaikovsky's own turbulent life and soul, the work is a tempestuous journey—oscillating between the tumult of fate's decree and ephemeral moments of serenity. The SSO’s rendition promises to transcend mere performance; it will be a visceral manifestation of Tchaikovsky’s struggle with life itself.
In May we bring you Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, originally a score for an educational film, yet so much more. It's an audacious guide through the orchestra’s anatomy, as much an exposition of Britten’s brilliance as it is of each instrument's unique voice. This piece is not just for the young but for anyone who dares to delve deeper into the orchestral abyss. We conclude May’s concert with Elgar’s beloved Enigma Variations – a masterclass in musical cryptography. Each variation is a clandestine homage to the composer’s acquaintances, a covert whisper of personalities in melodic form. The orchestra’s interpretation will doubtless be a voyage into Elgar's enigmatic psyche, leaving us to grapple with the tantalizing, unsolved riddle of its central theme.
In June, the stage is set for an entire concert dedicated to Verdi, that paragon of operatic fervor. The Brighton Dome will resonate with Verdi’s potent arias and choruses, a night where drama and melody conspire. Verdi’s genius lies in his unerring ability to distill raw emotion into music, rendering this concert a pilgrimage for every devotee of the operatic and symphonic realms.
October’s concert features Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite – less a composition, more a scenic escapade. It paints Ibsen's original drama in vibrant musical hues, from the idyllic “Morning Mood” to the frenzied “In the Hall of the Mountain King”. This suite is Grieg’s love letter to Norwegian folklore, wrapped in the garb of theatrical grandeur. The concert’s grand finale is Mahler's Symphony No. 5, a colossal narrative spanning the spectrum of human emotion. Known for its Adagietto, a symphonic serenade of love, this symphony is Mahler’s crowning achievement. The performance will be nothing short of epic, a fitting tribute to Mahler’s grandiose vision.
The Sussex Symphony Orchestra's 2024 season is an insurrection against the mundane, a challenge to the listener to engage, to question, to feel. Each concert will be a testament to the indomitable spirit of these musical titans, an invitation to join in their ceaseless quest for beauty and truth. This season is not just a series of concerts; it is a call to arms for all who dare to live, breathe, and rebel with great music.
