Kreisler: Praeludium & Allegro
Weir: Atlantic DriftMcNeff: Three Pieces for Piano (*world premiere*)
Schubert: An Schwager Kronos; Wandrers Nachtlied
Britten: Winter Words

‘Standing upon the shoulders of giants,’ all composers respond in some way to what has come before them. Kreisler’s popular Praeludium and Allegro, showcasing violinist Tim Crawford, was one of many works Kreisler misleadingly attributed to lesser-known Italian baroque composers, in this case Pugnani: in it, baroque energy and drive meet romantic fervour.

We’re proud to host our eighth world premiere to date, in Stephen McNeff’s new pieces for piano, inspired by the late piano music of Brahms, and written especially for Libby Burgess.

Britten’s cycle of Hardy settings, Winter Words, introduces a host of vividly painted characters – from the wagtail to the violinist lad – and scenes – from the railway station to the poignant choirmaster’s funeral. But it is the passing of time itself that is Hardy’s preoccupation, and that prompts the most powerful longing in the closing song. Acclaimed tenor Joshua Ellicott visits New Paths for the first time.

Performers: JE, TC, FH, LB