London Philharmonic Orchestra: Levit plays Busoni

‘Joy and pain interweave in the light of the world … Thousands of years flash by with glory and strength, revealing that which is indestructible’. Extraordinary words – but then, ‘extraordinary’ is the only word for the choral finale of Ferruccio Busoni’s colossal Piano Concerto of 1904. Every performance is a major occasion, demanding a pianist of quite phenomenal charisma and skill, so we’re thrilled to have Igor Levit as soloist. Antonio Pappano brings all his sense of drama to a masterpiece like no other – as well as a series of Technicolor orchestral transcriptions of one of the few composers who can give Busoni a run for his money.