Two thrilling masterpieces by French impressionist composers sit beside two highly contrasting concertos for horn. Stefan Dohr is principal horn player in the Berlin Philharmonic, but he also enjoys a busy life as a soloist. For his guest appearance with the NSO, he stars in one of Mozart’s four concertos for his instrument, plus a concerto written especially for him in 2010 by the internationally known Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa. Inspiration for Hosokawa’s work, called Moment of Blossoming, comes from the lotus flower and the image of the flower’s growth as a metaphor for man’s passage through life. The French works are Debussy’s three evocative pictures of the Sea (La Mer), and Ravel’s homage to the Viennese waltz (La Valse), which begins in the quiet mists and ends in apocalyptic horror.