THOSE who love classical music are being invited to join the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra when they perform in Basingstoke next month. 

It will be taking to the stage with a concert of musical puzzles with pieces by Mozart, Vasks and Shostakovich at The Anvil on Thursday, February 1.

Distinguished violinist Vadim Gluzman will also join the orchestra.

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The concert begins with Mozart’s Serenade for wind octet. His many wind serenades range from genial entertainments to serious masterpieces, and this C minor work is one of his very best, orchestrated for an ensemble that is traditionally employed for light entertainment.

The soulful and passionate violin concerto by Vasks which follows was inspired by childhood memories and stars twinkling in the night sky. “This haunting work strives constantly and touchingly towards ‘distant light’” (The Times). Its soulful, melancholic passion remains key to Vasks’ desire to re-connect with nature, beliefs and ideals that he sees being lost. 

It ends with Shostakovich’s fifteenth and final symphony, a mysterious work which the composer never explained, that poses many questions but reveals few answers. The orchestra is used sparingly yet effectively, while quotations from Rossini, Wagner, and Shostakovich’s own long-suppressed Fourth Symphony appear. The overall tone is reflective, leading to a delicate and subtle ending.

For more information and to buy tickets visit anvilarts.org.uk.