Classical Jazz

Few Composers were unaffected by the impact of jazz in the early 20th century. Here - Abbott O'Gorman celebrate the union of classical form and the jazz idiom with works ranging from Ravel's Five O'clock Foxtrot to Barber's nostalgic Palm Court reminiscences - Souvenirs. Only one work could possibly end this presentation of jazz-inspired classics - Gershwin's immortal Rhapsody in Blue.

The Four Hand Philharmonic

What better way to discover the orchestral repertoire than by hearing it on the piano!! Before radio or gramophone, the great composers transcribed their ballets and large orchestral works for the full gamut of colour and percussive effects of the piano and twenty fingers. From Ravel's La Valse, Daphnis et Chloé and Capriccio Espagnole of Rimsky-Korsakov, to Stravinsky's driving Rite of Spring, the composers' lines are clearly illuminated in these refreshing alternative versions.