One of the most immediately recognisable passages of music by Rimsky-Korsakov, The Flight of the Bumblebee, is actually an orchestral interlude in the opera The Tale of Tzar Saltan. It is a passage of extreme technical difficulty, taken from the scene where Gvidon, son of the Tzar, is transformed into a bumblebee. The rushing, buzzing strings illustrate this moment precisely. There is perhaps, however, no deeper relationship between music and the animal world than The Carnival of the Animals, a composition so playful and humorous that Camille Saint-Saëns only allowed its full publication posthumously, fearing that it would undermine his reputation.

Gulbenkian Orchestra
Samuel Barsegian Conductor
Bin Chao Violin

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
The flight of the bumblebee

Camille Saint-Saëns
The Carnival of the Animals : “The Swan”

Gioachino Rossini
La gazza ladra: Overture

He Zhanhao
The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto

Family Pass (2 adults and 1 child up to 12 years old): €20

Extra child: €2,5
This pass is only available at our box office

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