The latest work from the Novello award winning composer Gavin Higgins is set to be given its world premiere in Cardiff next month.

'A Monstrous Little Suite' will feature in a programme with the National Orchestra of Wales alongside Shostakovich's '6th Symphony' and Hakan Hardenberger performing Mieczyslaw Weinberg's 'Trumpet Concerto'.

Conducted by Ryan Bancroft, the performances will be given at the BBC Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff on Friday 14th February (7.30pm), and reprised the following day at Swansea's Brangwyn Hall (7.30pm.

Opera

Higgins' 'A Monstrous Little Suite' is based on the music from his acclaimed opera score to 'The Monstrous Child' — a tale of Hel, the half goddess, half corpse daughter of Loki, the Norse God of the Dead.

The five sections highlight elements of the operatic work -from the opening 'Slither, Plop, Out I Come!', to the closing 'Stop Fighting! Or I'll Smash Your Skulls!'.

Busy time

It also comes at a busy high-profile time for the Forest of Dean composer, with his Novello Award winning French Horn Concerto being performed this week in Oslo by Ben Goldscheider, whilst his major brass band work 'So Spoke Albion' is due to be performed at the forthcoming Norwegian Championships in Bergen.

Weinberg's playful, suspenseful 'Trumpet Concerto' written in 1967 was given its world premiere the following year by the great Timofey Dokshitser in Moscow. With shadows of darkness, to a hobbling waltz, it quotes music from Bizet's 'Carmen' to Stravinsky's 'Petrushka', Mendelssohn's 'Wedding March' to Mahler's '5th Symphony'.

Higgins' 'A Monstrous Little Suite' is based on the music from his acclaimed opera score to 'The Monstrous Child' — a tale of Hel, the half goddess, half corpse daughter of Loki, the Norse God of the Dead4BR

Tickets:

Cardiff
Friday 14th February
https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ewp4mb

Swansea
Saturday 15th February
BBC NOW 2024-25 Season Shostakovich 6 with Ryan Bancroft — BBC National Orchestra of Wales — BBC