| Leif Ove Andsnes | Piano |
| London Symphony Orchestra | |
| Dima Slobodeniouk | Dirección |
Bold and unconventional choices are there to be relished in music by Beethoven and Sibelius.
The Programme
Sibelius compared writing his daring Second Symphony to putting together a broken mosaic. For a listener, it’s only possible to marvel as stunning musical patterns shape themselves out of fragments.
In Beethoven’s ‘Emperor’ Concerto, the piano makes an unexpected hero’s entrance with barely an introduction from the orchestra. But soon there’s a magnificent back and forth between soloist and ensemble, ending in a galloping finale.
Lotta Wennäkoski’s exquisite tone poem Of Footprints and Light quotes from an unfinished opera by the Finnish composer Ida Moberg, who studied with Sibelius.
The Performers
The landscapes of Sibelius are familiar territory for Thomas Søndergård, and the LSO summons fresh air and sunshine. Leif Ove Andsnes brings immaculate style to Beethoven’s best-loved Piano Concerto.
‘There is something about this music … that leads us to ecstasy; almost like a shaman with his magic drum.’ – Composer Sulho Ranta on Sibelius’ Second Symphony
Thomas Søndergård is unwell and has been advised not to travel by his doctor. He has therefore had to withdraw from the LSO concert on 4 February 2024. The LSO is most grateful to Dima Slobodeniouk for stepping in at short notice to conduct. The programme will remain unchanged. All ticket holders are in the process of being notified.