BSO 2025 Concert 4: RHAPSODY

Khachaturian, Beethoven, Gershwin, and Respighi collide in a colourful culmination of Bendigo Symphony Orchestra (BSO)’s 2025 season.

Khachaturian’s Adagio captures a tender love story amidst the rebellion and uprising of Spartacus. Melodies sigh and soar with an exquisite combination of pain and ecstasy.

Concert pianist and graduate of the Juilliard School, Elyane Laussade continues her Beethoven residency, returning to perform Beethoven’s sparkling second concerto. While undergoing some evolution from its first performance in 1795 to its official publication in 1801, the youthful vigour and infectious energy of 23-year-old Beethoven lingers. The work’s balance and structure speak strongly to a Mozartian influence, however Beethoven’s pioneering voice already calls the concerto form towards new horizons.

Orchestra meets Jazz in Gershwin’s beloved Rhapsody in Blue. This riotous blend of popular and classical styles was an instant hit at its premiere in 1924, and the work has continued to delight audiences ever since. 

Gershwin has perfected the ratio of raucous energy to delicious schmaltz. 

Featuring Laussade again at the piano, this performance promises to be fiendish and fun.

From gardens to catacombs, the four tone poems of Respighi’s Pines of Rome glitter and breathe. Respighi treats the orchestra as splashes of colour while vividly conjuring scenes from the grand city. The work’s relationship to time and geography follows many cyclical patterns, with deep story-telling running through the movements. Pines of Rome holds a magic and splendour that will capture your imagination.

Sensational musical treats await in BSO’s unmissable season finale.

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