The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra’s series Philharmania(c), which introduces five additional dates for five most popular concerts of the regular season, begins on Thursday, 2 November (Kolarac, 8pm). Under the baton of Fabrice Bollon and with Višnja Popov featuring as the soloist, the orchestra will repeat the same programme the next day in the opening of the Water series (3 November, Kolarac, 8pm).

Water is the common denominator of all pieces in the programme – Lydov’s fairy-talish Enchanted Lake is followed by Elgar’s terrifying Sea Pictures. In this piece, the Belgrade Philharmonic will introduce mezzo-soprano Višnja Popov, a rising opera star. After a few decades, the Belgrade audience will hear the suite No 3 from Mihovil Logar’s ballet Goldfish. The programme ends with Rachmaninoff’s dramatic Isle of the Dead, performed by the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time.

“It is interesting that we are using music to depict the water motif through entirely different compositions. I like the ballet music Goldfish very much, I am glad that I have learned about this piece while working with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra. The insufficiently accurate score has posed quite a big challenge for us, so we have had to explore Logar’s composition together and interpret his ideas”, said Fabrice Bollon, a frequent guest of the Belgrade Philharmonic, who is equally famous in operatic and symphonic music.

With its five concerts played on Thursdays – one day ahead of the orchestra’s regular concerts, the Philharmania(c) series is a kind of a miniature version of the Five Elements season. Since there is huge interest for the regular performances on Fridays, the orchestra has made available 100 standing tickets, sold at the ticket office one hour ahead of concerts.