As a concept musical, Love Life was a real trailblazer, inspiring musical theatre favourites of the 1960s, 70s and beyond, from Cabaret and Chicago (originally subtitled ‘A Musical Vaudeville’) to Sondheim’s Company (told through a series of vignettes). It is ‘one of Weill’s best scores’ (conductor Jim Holmes), a masterpiece of putting different musical styles together, ‘a compendium of American musical idioms, cunningly chosen so that they suit the dramatic material.’ Kurt Weill and Alan Jay Lerner teamed up in 1947, both riding high on recent successes (Street Scene for Weill, Brigadoon for Lerner) and looking for new projects. When Love Life premiered on Broadway in 1948, Weill called it ‘an entirely new form of theatre.’ Stephen Sondheim denoted it ‘a useful influence on my own work.’

Il martirio di Santa Caterina by castrato singer, composer and writer Pier Francesco Tosi is both a fine example of the rich tradition of late-Baroque oratorio and the embodiment of Tosi’s famous treatise on a vocal style that emphasised expressive authenticity over virtuoso display. This story of the martyrdom of Catherine of Alexandria for refusing to convert to paganism is filled with deeply poignant music that depicts her prodigious inner strength. It's a representation of the power of faith through grief, courage, compassion and admiration for the fortitude of others.

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Joachim Raff was a largely self-taught composer whose style stands somewhere between the German traditionalism of Schumann and the newer school of Wagner. Raff composed seven Suites for Piano, a form he preferred to the sonata, which provided him with greater freedom as a composer, resulting in his most substantial contribution to the piano literature. This is reflected in the Mendelssohn-like lyricism of the First Suite; contrasts between Baroque and Romantic styles in the Third Suite, a piece admired by Liszt; and more nationalist inclinations in the memorably melodic Fifth Suite.

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Christian Tetzlaff, one of the world‘s most distinguished violinists, presents two major British violin concertos that premiered respectively in 1910 and 2005. In Elgar’s concerto Tetzlaff follows the style of early recordings of the work, which employ substantially quicker tempos than most modern interpretations. Adès’ violin concerto, subtitled ‘Concentric Paths’, is already a modern classic and will no doubt prove to be one of the most important concertos written during this century. With its highly demanding solo part it embodies all the elements of a true concerto, whilst also allowing the soloist to sing with his instrument. Conductor John Storgårds and the BBC Philharmonic provide impeccable support.