Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2

Heartfelt passion and irresistible beauty

We’re thrilled to welcome back conductor Kristiina Poska, who leads the Orchestra through the fast-sweeping overture of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, setting today's concert off at quite a pace, before perhaps the most romantic of all concertos slows us back down a little. It was only after pioneering hypnotherapy that Rachmaninov was able to conquer his writer’s block to compose his extraordinary Second Piano Concerto, given a rigorous and stylish performance today by Clare Hammond. The struggle with, and ultimate submission to, destiny also lies at the heart of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, a work of great emotional power.