Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5

Programme

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony would make many music-lovers’ top ten. Its dark, fateful mood only seems to heighten its appeal. The solemn clarinet motif of the opening, and the gorgeous horn melody of the second movement, are among its many memorable moments.

Tchaikovsky wrote his captivating Violin Concerto in a much more positive frame of mind, on holiday with the young student he hoped would premiere it. Tonight it is in the hands of 19-year-old Daniel Lozakovich. ‘He already plays like one of the greats’, wrote the Hamburguer Abendblatt, and Le Figaro called him ‘an exceptional talent.’

To open, Chang has chosen Sofia Gubaidulina’s Fairytale Poem. It dates from 1971, fourteen years before she was first allowed to leave the Soviet Union and Western audiences discovered her beguiling, atmospheric music.