Beethoven subtitled his sixth Symphony “Pastorale - Recollections of Country Life” and filled it with innovative orchestral depictions of nature, including birdsong, a flowing stream, and a thunderstorm. Camille Saint-Saëns’ philosophy that “form is the essence of art” is wonderfully realized in his compact and eloquent Cello Concerto No. 1, featuring Ottawa-born Bryan Cheng in […]