Raw Emotion, Endless Peace | London Philharmonic Orchestra

From the second that its opening fanfares shatter the silence, you can tell that Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony means business. Convinced that Fate itself was out to destroy him, Tchaikovsky poured everything into this overwhelming symphony: a no-holds-barred emotional autobiography, told in music of uncompromising melody and drama. It’s high-voltage stuff, and with the great Christian Tetzlaff as soloist, Shostakovich’s punchy Second Violin Concerto will set the tone in resolute terms. Karina Canellakis begins with a hauntingly beautiful vision of eternity from another very individual Russian voice: Victoria Borisova-Ollas. ‘The dream itself’, she asks – ‘does it ever really end?’