London Philharmonic Orchestra: Trifonov plays Tchaikovsky

‘My heartfelt homage to Tchaikovsky’s wonderful talent’: audiences in the 1920s were astonished when the modernist firebrand Stravinsky started adapting Tchaikovsky (tonight we hear his arrangements of ‘Variation d’Aurore’ and ‘Bluebird pas-de-deux’ from Sleeping Beauty). In fact, Stravinsky adored him, and his ballet The Fairy’s Kiss transforms Tchaikovsky’s music into something that magically fuses the spirit of both composers. And what better homage to the composer that Stravinsky revered so much than a performance of Tchaikovsky’s sweeping First Piano Concerto, performed tonight by the incomparable Daniil Trifonov – himself a Tchaikovsky Competition winner. According to The Guardian, ‘Trifonov’s combination of delicacy and fire leaves an indelible impression’ in this hugely popular Concerto.