The concert programme takes listeners on a musical journey, chiefly through the imagined, fairy-tale Orient, with its stereotypes and literary topoi. Many critics reproached Camille Saint-Saëns for the "eclecticism" of his music, particularly in comparison with the modernist explorations of his age. At the same time, however, they admired its beauty of sound, rich melodic invention, impeccable sense of proportion and colourful orchestration. The French neo-Romantic’s works possess something of the appeal of the technically accomplished canvases of nineteenth-century academic painters, populated by exquisitely posed figures from myth and history. Although the Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor has eclipsed the composer’s other works in the genre, the Piano Concerto No. 5 in F major ‘Egyptian’, likewise emerges as an exceptional work, well worth rediscovering. It was composed during a winter holiday in Luxor, hence its subtitle, although Saint-Saëns himself recalled that the concerto was rather intended as a symbol of a great "sea voyage", evoking echoes not only of Egyptian, Nubian and Middle Eastern music, but also of Iberian and even... Javanese music.

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade is one of the most popular and evocative symphonic works of the late nineteenth century. Inspired by One Thousand and One Nights, it does not tell the stories literally, but instead unfolds a sequence of colourful, Orientalist tableaux: from Sinbad’s sea voyages, through atmospheric palace scenes, to the joyful bustle of a festive Eastern street. The composer achieves these effects through masterly orchestration, full of brilliance, contrasts and refined combinations of instrumental colours. A particularly important role is played by the solo violin, symbolising Scheherazade herself as she spins her mysterious and sensuous tales. Exotic scales, dance rhythms and evocative musical imagery ensure that the work continues to captivate audiences while standing as an emblem of the highest artistry in orchestral writing.

Piotr Maculewicz