Conducted by Leonhard Kreutzmann
Piano – Alim Beisembayev
PROGRAMME
TCHAIKOVSKY Romeo & Juliet Fantasy Overture
GRIEG Piano Concerto
– interval –
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is one of the most heartbreakingly famous love stories to have ever been written. And who could better compose equally, achingly beautiful music to the story than Tchaikovsky? From the melancholic opening to the outpouring of passion in the climactic melody, Tchaikovsky’s rip-roaring Fantasy Overture is musical drama at its best.
Followed by Grieg’s Piano Concerto. From its opening timpani roll and crashing chords to its anthemic final moments, it’s brimful of passion and remains one of the most popular pieces in the orchestral repertoire. This time, we hear it in the hands of Alim Beisembayev, winner of the prestigious Leeds International Piano Competition in 2021.
Closing the concert is Beethoven’s mighty Fifth Symphony. The electrifying opening of the piece is one of the most iconic and instantly recognisable moments in orchestral music, but there’s so much more than that stop-you-in-your-tracks opening. Whether you’ve heard a dozen different recordings, or never listened to it all the way through, nothing beats experiencing it live.