Work: The Isle of the Dead, Symphonic poem, Op.29

The Isle of the Dead and The Bells make gloomy bookends to the final concert of the season, but Mihhail Gerts makes a great case for both at the National Concert Hall.

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Plunging into the abyss with Kirill Petrenko and the Berliners

Mark Pullinger, 16 Jan

A doom-laden trip to Dante's Inferno via Shakespeare's star-cross'd lovers and a voyage across the lake to The Isle of the Dead.

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VerbierKlaus Mäkelä conducts Rachmaninov and Stravinsky

On demand from Salle des Combins, Verbier, Until 30 Sep 23:59

Rachmaninov, Stravinsky

Verbier Festival Orchestra; Klaus Mäkelä

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Day of Wrath: Rachmaninov and the Dies irae

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Mark Pullinger, 01 Apr

The demonic Dies irae motif haunts many of Rachmaninov’s compositions – but what meaning did this Catholic hymn have for the Russian composer?

Bachtrack top ten: Sergei Rachmaninov

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Mark Pullinger, 01 Apr

Possibly the greatest pianist of the 20th century and one of its greatest composers too, Sergei Rachmaninov left a relatively small catalogue – only 45 published works – yet many of them appear frequently in concert programmes.