London Symphony Orchestra / Janine Jansen / Sir Antonio Pappano

Dreaming of Freedom

Janine Jansen is a true master of her trade. When she picks up her violin and bow, audiences are instantly captivated. One of her favourite pieces is Benjamin Britten’s Violin Concerto and there is no one she would rather play it with than the London Symphony Orchestra. Born in the Netherlands, Jansen originally recorded this visionary concerto with England’s prestigious orchestra fifteen years ago. Britten began work on the concerto in 1939 and completed it in 1940 while living in Canada in exile. As a passionate pacifist, he used music to express his longing for freedom, friendship and harmony. He shared his dreams of peace and liberation with Aaron Copland whose optimistic Third Symphony reflects American hopes for democracy, unity and independence after the Second World War. Leonard Bernstein once described this stirring music as an »American monument«. Indeed, its spirit and melodic clarity provide a perfect soundtrack to the »American dream«.