Performance on 3 - Philharmonia - Sibelius, Grieg, Rachmaninov

Presented by Ian Skelly Vladimir Ashkenazy returns to conduct the Philharmonia Orchestra, pairing a Russian symphony with works from Scandinavia. They open with Sibelius, who wrote a number of scores for the theatre. He couldn't resist the opportunity to write incidental music for Pelleas et Melisande, as had several other composers before him. The charismatic Russian pianist Nikolai Lugansky joins the orchestra for Greig's romantic and virtuosic concerto. The concert ends with Rachmaninov - his Second Symphony, which is one of the pinnacles of the Russian symphonic tradition. From the brooding first movement, through the beautiful climax of the slow movement, to the finale which is a summation of all that has gone before, the work is a real journey through the Russian musical landscape and the world of Rachmaninov's imagination. Sibelius: Incidental music to Pelleas et Melisande Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor Rachmaninov: Symphony no.2 in E minor Philharmonia Orchestra Nikolai Lugansky (piano) conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy Followed by 100 Years of German Song - from a concert at Wigmore Hall London, launching their Lieder series which explores German song by the decade. Including: Weber: Abschied vom Leben Michael Schade (tenor) Malcolm Martineau (piano).