‘Antwerp Symphony Orchestra & Koor Opera Ballet Vlaanderen’

Gustav Holst penned a highly original impression of the planets in our solar system. The cinematic atmosphere of his orchestral suite The Planets was far ahead of his time; just listen to the opening bars of Mars, the Bringer of War, and you will realise that he paved the way for a whole generation of film music composers. Claude Debussy’s Nocturnes, in contrast, are one big atmospheric sketch in which he lets us experience the changing shimmer of sunlight, a cloudy grey sky and the mysterious song of the sirens. Like Holst, Debussy gives the choir an evocative role in the final section, with voices that exercise an irresistible power of attraction. Breathtaking NASA images take you on a visual journey through space in this cinematic concert. On the bridge of the mother ship are the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, the Opera Ballet Vlaanderen Choir and the conductor Aziz Shokhakimov.