Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto

Russian Romance, cold war drama and hijinks in sunny Spain.

Prepare to be shaken, stirred and uplifted by this programme of spectacular orchestral works, led by the brilliant Dima Slobodeniouk. We start with the raw emotion of Martinu’s wartime lament, Memorial to Lidice. Tchaikovsky’s stunning Violin Concerto famously flopped at its premiere (one critic remarked that it ‘stank to the ear’) yet today it is an absolute favourite with both performers and audiences. Soloist Inmo Yang relishes every Romantic moment. Prokofiev’s Sixth Symphony tells of a life-and-death struggle, but in Stalin’s Russia, even the most stirring masterpiece could carry a darker meaning.

Full programme

• Martinu, Memorial to Lidice  (8mins)
• Tchaikovsky, Violin Concerto  (30mins)
• Prokofiev, Symphony No.6  (43mins