Three composers, three dramatic meditations on Fate and the Day of Judgement.
Tchaikovsky鈥檚 Fourth Symphony maps a journey from darkness to light, reflecting the crisis of his collapsed marriage. It鈥檚 an emotional white-knuckle ride, from the blazing opening brass fanfare 鈥� through pain, anguish, daydreams and nostalgia 鈥� ending in hard-won triumph.
Sofia Gubaidulina was one of the first composers to gain ground in the West after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and her Russian Orthodox faith has inspired scores of power and sensuality. The Wrath of God 鈥� receiving its UK premiere 鈥� is no exception. Harnessing large orchestral forces, it contemplates the Day of Judgement in a gripping display of intensity and mystery, cast in cinematic colours.
The Dies irae (the plainchant denoting the 鈥楧ay of Wrath鈥�) lurks within a number of Rachmaninov鈥檚 works. The Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is one of them, but what鈥檚 more telling is the heart-stoppingly lush 18th Variation, and the dazzling hi-jinks for the piano soloist. Stepping up to the mark tonight is French star Lise de le Salle, whose UK dates are all too rare.