Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Vasily Petrenko Conductor
Isata Kanneh-Mason Piano
Tchaikovsky Francesca da Rimini 22
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 27 32
Ravel Daphnis and Chloë, Suites 1 and 2 30
The stars have very literally aligned as two luminaries renowned for their exhilarating performances, Nottingham's star pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason and the prodigious Vasily Petrenko, join forces at the Royal Concert Hall. Tchaikovsky’s vivid orchestral palettes made him the master of evoking legends of doomed love - his illustration of Francesca da Rimini's eternal damnation within Dante's Inferno is utterly ravishing. If you love his passionate writing (and let’s face it, who doesn't?) then this is a must-hear; his hellish textures are chilling, the fiendish tarantella is captivating, and Francesca's love theme is one of Tchaikovsky's most gorgeous melodies.
Sensitivity is fundamental to Mozart's final Piano Concerto, a niche in his repertoire that glimpses into the exhausting and tragic months of his twilight. Maturely simple and elegant, it's only in the final Rondo that his familiar playfulness subtly enters, gently shifting melancholy into nostalgic optimism. As Stravinsky's Firebird Suite opened our season, it's fitting that another derivation of a Ballet Russes commission should close our penultimate concert. Ravel's Daphnis and Chloé Suites vividly represent the adventurous tales of their ancient Greek romance with music as wondrous and scintillating as its mythical inspiration, his masterful use colour painting twelve characterful scenes including a furious war dance, a glorious sunrise and a jubilant bacchanale. If Daphnis and Chloe had premiered before The Firebird, Stravinsky's limelight would have undoubtedly been Ravel's.
Free pre-concert talk, 6.00pm in the auditorium: In conversation with Vasily Petrenko, Music Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
