Olivier Latry

Concertos for organ and orchestra are a rarity. With the exception of Handel and the early Haydn, none of the great classical composers tackled this appealing combination. The French composer Francis Poulenc, who said of himself that he knew artistically "both the milieu of pastors and that of good-for-nothings", gave the Concerto for Organ, String Orchestra and Timpani an important place in his oeuvre, which is often characterised as Janus-faced. "If you want to have a precise idea of my serious side," he wrote, "you have to look at this work." Both sides can be found in his organ concerto, the secular and the sacred form a union that corresponds to the composer's profound character. The Zurich Chamber Orchestra has the special honour of performing this rare work with one of the world's most important concert organists, Olivier Latry, in the Tonhalle. The titular organist of Notre-Dame in Paris is a virtuoso in his field, a brilliant improviser and a master of registration.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Serenade no. 6 in D major, Serenata notturna, KV 239
Antonín Dvořák Notturno for string orchestra in B major, op. 40
Hugo Wolf Italian Serenade for string orchestra in G major
Josef Suk Meditation on the old Bohemian chorale St. Wenceslaus for string orchestra, op. 35a
Maurice Duruflé Prélude et Fugue sur le nom d'Alain, op. 7
Francis Poulenc Concerto for organ, string orchestra and timpani in G minor