RNCM - Tchaikovsky Symphony No 6

Mel Bonis Ophélie Op 165
Emily Dunbar New work
Sergei Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Op 43
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No 6 in B minor Op 74 ‘Pathétique’

Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique Symphony stands as an unnerving prelude to the composer’s untimely death, which occurred just nine days after its premiere. Bleak yet epic, the true narrative behind this programmatic work is shrouded in as much mystery as the circumstances surrounding his final days.

Tchaikovsky sets the tone with a haunting opening, before moving into a lilting yet unsettled waltz. The third movement creates the illusion of a triumphant conclusion, only for this hope to be undone in the final movement.

Perhaps a requiem to himself, the final Adagio lamentoso strays from the traditional symphonic form. Is this sombre, mournful elegy a resignation to fate?

Mel Bonis’ impressionist masterpiece Ophélie draws from the tragic demise and mysterious drowning of William Shakespeare’s Ophelia in Hamlet, shaped by the destructive forces of the men around her.

The programme also features the premiere of a new work by composition student Emily Dunbar, and RNCM Concerto Competition winner Liana Storey closes the first half by performing Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, which received its English premiere here in Manchester at the Free Trade Hall in 1935.

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