Explore our season in audio

Whether you're spoilt for choice, intrigued by something unfamiliar, or want to look for music to suit a particular mood, why not listen to some of the music in our season? We've compiled some pieces and movements into 'playlists' to help you find your way around, which you can listen to using spotify - it's FREE and easy (click here for a 4-step guide).

Listen on spotify

Use the buttons below to select different groups of tracks to listen to, and click on the links to see the concerts which the pieces feature in.

Find familiar favourites
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1, first movement - Thursday 27 & Saturday 29 September
Dvorák: Symphony No. 9 (From the New World), second movement - Tuesday 2 October
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy - Sunday 28 October
Sibelius: Karelia Suite, Intermezzo - Thursday 1 & Saturday 3 November
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5, first movement - Wednesday 9 & Thursday 10 January
Handel: Messiah, Hallelujah - Sunday 3 February
Fauré: Requiem, Pie Jesu - Sunday 17 February
Respighi: The Pines of Rome, I pini di Villa Borghese - Wednesday 20 February
Elgar: Enigma Variations, Nimrod - Wednesday 6 & Thursday 7 March
Walton: Crown Imperial - Wednesday 24 April
Bernstein: Symphonic Dances, West Side Story - Wednesday 15 May

 

Discover lesser-know works
Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 1, third movement - Thursday 1 & Saturday 3 November
Schumann: Symphony No. 2, second movement - Wednesday 7 November
Schoenberg: Five Pieces for Orchestra, 3. Farben (Mässige Viertel) and 4. Peripetie (Sehr rasch) - Wednesday 14 November
Beethoven: Mass in C, Kyrie - Thursday 22 November
Szymanowski: Violin Concerto No. 1: Vivace scherzando - Wednesday 28 November
Bridge: Suite, The Sea 1. Seascape - Thursday 17 & Saturday 19 January
Scriabin: The Poem of Ecstasy - Thursday 2 & Saturday 4 May
Strauss: Aus Italien, Auf der Campagna: Andante and In Roms Ruinen: Allegro con brio - Wednesday 8 & Thursday 9 May

 

The Birmingham Beethoven Cycle
Symphony No. 1, third movement - Wednesday 19 & Thursday 20 September
Symphony No. 2, second movement - Wednesday 19 & Thursday 20 September
Symphony No. 3 (Eroica), second movement - Thursday 13 & Saturday 15 December
Symphony No. 4, first movement - Wednesday 9 & Thursday 10 January
Symphony No. 5, first movement - Wednesday 9 & Thursday 10 January
Symphony No. 6 (Pastorale), fifth movement - Wednesday 20 & Thursday 21 March
Symphony No. 7 (Pastorale), fourth movement - Wednesday 20 & Thursday 21 March
Symphony No. 8, third movement - Thursday 27 & Saturday 29 June
Symphony No. 9 'Choral', Presto: 'O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!' - Thursday 27 & Saturday 29 June

 

Big powerful pieces
Mahler: Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection), fifth movement - Saturday 15 September
Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra, Finale - Wednesday 28 November
Bruckner: Symphony No. 8, fourth movement - Wednesday 5 & Thursday 6 December
Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel - Wednesday 23 & Thursday 24 January
Sibelius: Violin Concerto, second movement - Thursday 14 & Saturday 16 February
Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite (1919), Variation of the Firebird and Round Dance of the Princesses - Thursday 14 & Saturday 16 February
Mahler: Symphony No. 5, first movement - Sunday 24 February
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 6, first movement - Wednesday 17 April
Britten: War Requiem, 1. Requiem aeternam and 3. Offertorium: Domine Jesu Christe - Tuesday 28 May & Friday 31 May

 

Tranquil, relaxing music
Beethoven: Violin Concerto, second movement - Wednesday 19 & Thursday 20 September
Grieg: Piano Concerto, Adagio - Thursday 1 & Saturday 3 November
Vaughan Williams: Oboe Concerto, second movement - Wednesday 7 November
Bridge: Suite, The Sea 3. Moonlight - Thursday 17 & Saturday 19 January
Chopin: Piano Concerto No.1, second movement - Wednesday 23 & Thursday 24 January
Elgar: Enigma Variations, Nimrod - Wednesday 6 & Thursday 7 March
Beethoven: Romance No. 1 - Wednesday 20 March
Beethoven: Romance No. 2 - Thursday 21 March
Copland: Appalachian Spring - Suite, first movement and seventh movement - Wednesday 15 May

 

CBSO 2020: music from 1912-13
Schoenberg: Five Pieces for Orchestra, 4. Peripetie (Sehr rasch) - Wednesday 14 November
Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire, Part 1: 1. Mondestrunken and Part 3: 17. Parodie - Thursday 6 December
Sibelius: The Bard - Wednesday 6 February
Debussy: Jeux - Thursday 14 & Saturday 16 February
Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite (1919) Variation of the Firebird and Round Dance of the Princesses - Thursday 14 & Saturday 16 February
Elgar: Falstaff, 1. Falstaff and Prince Henry - Wednesday 20 February
Reger: Two Böcklin Pictures, Hermit Playing the Violin and In the Play of the Waves -Wednesday 10 & Thursday 11 April
Webern: Six Pieces for Orchestra - 1. Etwas bewget - Thursday 2 & Saturday 4 May