Evgeny Kissin in recital: Music by Schubert and Scriabin

Throughout his extraordinary and astonishing life, Alexander Scriabin continued to write the short pieces for piano that furthered his magical yet bizarre musical world-view. At the time of his Second Piano Sonata in 1897, Scriabin was perfecting his Chopin-meets-Impressionism style with a piece that, in part, reflected a ‘caressing moonlight coming up after the first darkness of night’ and ‘the vast expanse of ocean in stormy agitation.’ By the time of the Opus 8 Etudes, Scriabin was asking audiences to imagine ever-more abstract scenes while forcing pianists into ever-greater technical feats. Evgeny Kissin comes to the Barbican to play music by one of the great pianistic provocateurs.

Tickets: £25-85