Philharmonia Orchestra

Bedford Borough Council & BCEX presents
Philharmonia Orchestra

Vasily Petrenko conductor

Simon Trpčeski piano

SHOSTAKOVICH           Festive Overture

TCHAIKOVSKY             Piano Concerto No. 2

SIBELIUS                      Symphony No. 2

Tchaikovsky’s Second Piano Concerto is less well known than his First, possibly owing to its composition taking place during a rather more melancholic period of his life. Once again its dedicatee, Nikolai Rubinstein, was initially less than impressed with the work: rather than the piano playing virtuosically in the foreground with the orchestra accompanying, the two parts are in even dialogue, and there is a brief moment in the second movement with solos for violin and cello that makes the work seem like a piano trio for an instant. Sibelius’s Second Symphony also has moments of intimacy, for example the tender oboe melody accompanied by muted strings in the slow movement; but this leads into the blazing finale and its triumphant conclusion.