Talks on Western Classical Music

Stuart-Liff Collection Library: Thursday, 13th August at 4.00 pm

Mendelssohn: "Italian" Symphony

Dr. Cavas Bilimorias talks this month are specially designed to familiarise attendees with the music being performed at the SOI Autumn 2026 season. The second talk in the series will focus on Mendelssohns "Italian" Symphony. Mendelssohn began composing this symphony, the most popular among all his five symphonies for full orchestra, in 1830 during a long holiday in Italy. He tried to capture in musical form, the sights, smells and emotions inspired by his Italian adventure. It is among the most brilliant music he ever composed. And yet, not satisfied with it, he did not allow it to be published in his lifetime. He completely revised the second, third and fourth movements but died at the age of 38 before he could revise the first movement. When it was published in 1851, four years after his death, it immediately became popular and has remained one of the best loved symphonies in the entire symphonic repertoire.

Stuart-Liff Collection Library: Thursday, 3rd September at 4.00 pm

Beethoven: Symphony No. 7

In this series of talks on Western classical music, Dr. Cavas Bilimoria takes listeners through musical concepts, the lives of composers and their famous works, interspersed with examples from recorded music. The first talk this month focuses on Beethoven's Symphony No. 7.

Premiered in 1813 at Vienna, Beethoven admitted that this symphony was one of his best works. When he began composing it, Napoleon was planning his campaign against Russia. Although this symphony has its own unique personality, Beethoven carried over certain aspects of his fifth and sixth symphonies into it. It is said that the premiere was a great success, especially for the second movement which had to be encored.[

Stuart-Liff Collection Library: Thursday, 13th September at 4.00 pm

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3

The second talk of the series by Dr. Cavas Bilimoria this month will focus on Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3.

Composed and premiered in 1909, this piece has gained a reputation of being one of the most challenging piano concertos in the standard classical piano repertoire, known for its herculean technical demands and titanic scale where the soloist plays almost non-stop for the entire 45 minutes. Rachmaninoff himself was the soloist the first time this work was played in 1909 in New York City.

An NCPA Presentation

Entry free on a first come, first served basis.