| Tuesday 31 March 2026 | 19:30 |
| Rossini, Gioachino (1792-1868) | Il barbiere di Siviglia: Overture | |
| Rubbra, Edmund (1901-1986) | Piano Concerto in G major, Op.85 | |
| Rachmaninov, Sergei (1873-1943) | Symphony no. 1 in D minor, Op.13 |
| Nil Venditti | Conductor |
| Mark Bebbington | Piano |
| Royal Philharmonic Orchestra |
At the age of 22, Rachmaninov had his heart broken. He poured all his ambition and all his emotion into the epic score of his First Symphony, which goes off like a volcano – wild, passionate and positively brimming with inspiration. For many years it was lost, but today conductor Nil Venditti gives this youthful tour-de-force its due. The Northampton-born composer Edmund Rubbra, meanwhile, was one of the most admired names in post-war British music, but today his radiant Piano Concerto – inspired by the flowers and moods of the English countryside – is a real rarity. Pianist Mark Bebbington has made it his mission to rediscover Britain’s lost masterworks, and this one’s a jewel. You might be about to discover your new favourite piece.
’Venditti’s facility for phrasing and for highlighting detail was to the fore, teasing from the orchestra a warm sound and a bright demeanour.’ – Bachtrack, August 2024
Kindly supported by Adrian Yardley.
