Icons Rediscovered: Rachmaninov’s The Bells

Vasily Petrenko Conductor 
Sheku Kanneh-Mason MBE Cello
Mirjam Mesak Soprano
Pavel Petrov Tenor
Andrii Kymach Baritone
Philharmonia Chorus
Paul Whittaker BSL Performer

In the old Russia of Rachmaninov’s youth, bells rang and chimed throughout the whole of life: the bronze-voiced heralds of joy, terror, love – and oblivion. They peal, too, through Rachmaninov’s great choral symphony The Bells, in music that’s exactly as heartfelt, as gorgeous and as unforgettably tuneful as you’d expect from the composer of Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Rachmaninov thought it was one of his greatest works and Vasily Petrenko agrees, making this London performance a real high point of the series.

It’s the climax of a concert filled with great music that goes beyond your expectations: from Elgar relaxing in the Italian sunshine to a powerful, forgotten cello concerto by Shostakovich’s great friend Mieczysław Weinberg – championed today by the irrepressible Sheku Kanneh-Mason.

We are pleased to announce that Mirjam Mesak will join the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for Icons Rediscovered: Rachmaninov’s The Bells on Thursday 11 April as Olga Pudova is unfortunately no longer able to perform.

Large print versions and digital formats of the programme for this concert are available on request for customers with accessibility requirements. Please email your request to Doran Crowhurst crowhurstd@rpo.co.uk at least one full week before the performance.

This event will have a BSL (British Sign Language) interpreter throughout who will be positioned to the left side of the stage.
To book tickets for BSL interpretation, email accesslist@southbankcentre.co.uk or call Southbank Centre on 020 3879 9555.

Find out more about Southbank Centre's Access Scheme.