A horn calls softly, a piano dreams in the twilight, and Scriabin鈥檚 Piano Concerto begins its enchanted journey. That鈥檚 the centrepiece of the opening concert of our season: the finest piano concerto Rachmaninov never wrote, played by a soloist celebrated for his interpretations of the Russian piano repertoire. It鈥檚 a very different world from Shostakovich鈥檚 shattering Tenth Symphony. A heartfelt cry for freedom written under the shadow of Stalinism, it鈥檚 still one of the 20th century鈥檚 most overwhelming symphonic experiences. Donald Runnicles conducts, and opens the concert by whipping up a storm with Mussorgsky鈥檚 exciting orchestral showpiece.
Prelude: 3.00pm (free to ticket-holders)
Alexandra Smith from the University of Edinburgh discusses the cultural context of each of the composers in this concert.
