An extremely varied programme at the Théatre Ducourneau, Agen, in the Lot-et-Garonne department of France, by Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine under Douglas Boyd. Beginning with the orchestrated version of ‘5 Piéces enfantines’ from ‘Ma Mère l’Oye’ by Maurice Ravel, followed by an excellent performance of Francis Poulenc’s ‘Concert champêtre pour clavecin’, with the extraordinary Jean Rondeau on harpsichord. The second half saw a beautifully-played ‘Symphony no. 2’ by Robert Schumann.

Douglas Boyd

Jean Rondeau

Ravel: ‘5 pièces enfantines’ from ‘Ma Mère l’Oye’; Poulenc ‘ Concert champêtre pour clavecin’; Schumann ‘Symphony no. 2 in C major’ opus 61.

At La Halle aux Grains, Toulouse, for an excellent concert by the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse under Tugan Sokhiev. The first half saw Liszt’s ‘Piano Concerto no. 1’ wonderfully played by the renowned French pianist Lucas Debargue, who was deservedly called back for two encores. The second half was a powerful performance of the ‘Eighth Symphony’ of Dimitri Shostakovich, an epic work which evokes the suffering of the second world war.

Lucas Debargue

Tugan Sokhiev

Liszt: ‘Piano Concerto no. 1 in E Flat’ S.124; Shostakovich ‘Symphony no. 8’ opus 65.