Work: Slavonic March in B flat minor "Marche Slave", Op. 31

Pantheon, by Cleveland Orchestra oboist Jeffrey Rathbun, and Hans Abrahamsen’s Left, alone with pianist Alexandre Tharaud in his TCO debut showed the ensemble’s strengths.

Single-composer programmes can be risky affairs. It is possible to have too much of a good thing, after all. Fortunately, this all-Tchaikovsky programme from the CBSO contained three sufficiently contrasting pieces, ensuring that we did not tire of the melancholic Russian master’s works.

The Moscow State Symphony Orchestra continued their European tour with three programs at the Cadogan Hall, all with works by Tchaikovksy. As far as programming goes, the MSSO played it safe, but when it comes to Tchaikovksy this is not necessarily a criticism.