On Sunday 13 June a group of us from the BBCM went to hear the LSO at the Barbican Concert Hall play Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 18 in B flat and two pieces by Strauss - the Burleske in D minor and Also Sprach Zarathustra - all under the direction of Bernard Haitink. Andras Schiff, the pianist in the first two pieces, was absolutely riveting throughout.

The Mozart was the more reflective of the two piano pieces, and more subtle. It wasn't as showy as its Strauss counterpart, and was more intimate, requiring greater concentration from the audience. The final movement was fairly exuberant and stormy, allegro vivace, with a triumphant solo by the fantastic Andras Schiff, which in some ways was going to prepare us for the Strauss.

The Strauss pieces were less demanding and I found myself reclining into my seat. In the Burleske, the first of the two Strauss pieces, a full timpani section was brought on, together with some more brass. It opens with a theme on timpani to which the orchestra replies, and then gives way to a lovely piano solo. A relaxed waltz leads up to the piece's explosions and fiery recapitulation of its long coda.

As for Also sprach Zarathustra, the long introduction was that used by Kubrick in his film 2001: A Space Odyssey. It begins with a dramatic and stark trumpet fanfare, with the timpani beating out a consistent rhythm in the background, and then varies between the major and minor tones. Then the strings enter on a more joyous note and we're introduced to the organ, a rather small one considering the size of the stage. Eventually the piece moves towards a more tranquil ending. It was quite remarkable to see Haitink conduct such a full orchestra with such ease.

Agnes shepherded us backstage in the interval to meet Andras Schiff who seemed incredibly relaxed after such a varied and energetic performance. At the end we descended again to congratulate Bernard Haitink who recognised the BBCM T-shirts and seemed genuinely pleased to see so many of us.

Altogether it was a truly enjoyable experience, and a first one for me with the BBCM at the Barbican!

Sam Ellison, Age 12
Year 6