Work: The Iron Foundry (Zavod), Op.19

Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Philharmonia Orchestra excelled in a fascinating exploration of post-revolutionary Russian music under the banner ‘Workers and the State’.

Thomas Søndergård conducts the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in Mosolov, Shostakovich and Beethoven with Igor Levit

Listening to an orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall is a bit like watching a gladiatorial contest between the orchestra and the hall. If the orchestra prevails, the sound comes through clean and well-defined. If not, the hall's giant size and booming acoustic turn the results to mush.