Passions run high as countertenor Hugh Cutting sings Jonathan Dove’s dramatic Hojoki – plus orchestral showstoppers by Liszt and Dorothy Howell.

“Sensational” was how one critic described the singing of Hugh Cutting, adding that “his countertenor blazed with virtuosity and expressive depth”. It’s hard to imagine a more compelling soloist than this young British star in Jonathan Dove’s Hojoki – a one-man mini-opera inspired by an old Japanese account of a man battling both nature and fate.

But then, this whole concert burns with drama. Liszt’s famous symphonic poem wrestles with the storms and triumphs of life itself, while Dorothy Howell’s sensuous Lamia tells a tale of witchcraft and seduction in music that glows with colour. A gripping (and much awaited) return to the BBC Symphony Orchestra for our award-winning guest conductor Martijn Dendievel.

Programme:
Jonathan Dove Hojoki
Dorothy Howell Lamia
Franz Liszt Symphonic Poem No. 3, 'Les Préludes'

Martijn Dendievel conductor
Hugh Cutting countertenor
BBC Symphony Orchestra