Alexandra Dariescu performs Rachmaninov

The legend that the violin virtuoso Paganini sold his soul to the devil in order to become obscenely talented has inspired numerous composers including Brahms and Andrew Lloyd Webber, but one of the finest variations of the theme is considered to be Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Performed by the supremely talented Alexandra Dariescu, this piece ranges from ghostly stirrings to demonic marches; soft lightheartedness to scintillating wit.

This springtime concert opens with Humperdinck’s dreamy Overture from Hansel and Gretel, which firmly establishes the mood of his enchanted tale. In Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, the heroic struggle is fought out in the most dramatic music of the composer's age, from the fateful four notes that hammer out the opening to the blazingly uplifting finale.