In the Face of Adversity | Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Opening the series with a concerto described as a “pithy 'Shakespearian' role” by celebrated violinist David Oistrakh, Valeriy Sokolov performs one of the most gripping violin concertos in the repertoire. No Russian composer has experienced the oppressive hand of the Soviet state more than Dmitri Shostakovich, and whilst Stalin silenced many artists, it was only after Stalin’s death that Shostakovich dared to publish his Violin Concerto No.1.

The emotional intensity swells after the interval when Lionel Bringuier conducts one of the most abundantly lyrical and superbly crafted masterpieces, Rachmaninov’s Symphony No.2. Beset by self-doubt and depression in the years following his First Symphony, Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony restored his self-belief as a symphonist. Journeying from darkness, through an exquisite slow movement and concluding with a joyous triumphant finale, his Second Symphony is sixty minutes of the most glorious music from the symphonic repertoire.