Britten.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sinfonia da Requiem

Beethoven.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Piano Concerto No.4

Rachmaninov.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Symphonic Dances

Kirill Karabits.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Conductor

Paul Lewis.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Piano

Britten undertook to register his personal feelings about war by calling this symphony a requiem and giving its three movements headings taken from the Roman Catholic Mass for the Dead. Showing influence from Mahler, Stravinsky and Vaughan Williams in three interlinked movements, it is distinctly written in his unique language.

Beethoven’s unorthodox Fourth Piano Concerto (it opens with the unaccompanied soloist) is a thrilling dialogue between piano and orchestra which sees the argument eventually being won by the piano before we are hurled headlong into the joyful, often boisterous, finale.

The Symphonic Dances is an exhilarating summary of Rachmaninov’s life’s work. In three colourfully orchestrated and contrasting movements, originally entitled “Noon”, “Twilight” and “Midnight” the music is full of seductive melodies and rhythms as well as pure Rachmaninov warmth and feeling

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