MSO.LIVE’s inaugural program is filled with bombast, passion, and colour. Melbourne’s own Katy Abbott explodes out of the gate with her turbulent work for brass ensemble and percussion, Punch. Pulsating with rhythmic energy, this music is thrilling and vibrant. One of the most beloved works in the repertoire, MSO Principal Clarinet David Thomas brings to life music full of lyricism, charm, and elegance: the allegro from Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. Marked adagio cantabile, Beethoven’s Romance No.2 is a passionate, singing work performed here with MSO Concertmaster Sophie Rowell as soloist. Thanks to Ravel, we know Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition as a work of grandeur, but here we see a different approach. Julian Yu’s orchestration for sixteen players puts excess to one side, instead creating a kaleidoscopic tapestry from Mussorgsky’s piano work. PROGRAM ABBOTT Punch BEETHOVEN Romance No.2 in F* MOZART Clarinet Concerto in A: Allegro^ MUSSORGSKY ORCH. YU Pictures at an Exhibition ARTISTS Benjamin Northey, conductor Sophie Rowell, violin* David Thomas, clarinet^ Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Pictures at an Exhibition by Modeste Moussorgsky (arranged by Julian Yu) is used by permission of Hal Leonard Australia Pty. Ltd.