Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

A concert of two characters, equally icons to be explored just like the composers within this series. Written in the twilight years of his career, Rachmaninov first put pen to paper in the summer of 1934 for what would become one of his most beloved works.

Pitting piano against orchestra, Rachmaninov takes all the hellish fire of dazzling violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini, turning his little melody on its head to create something entirely new, with the magical Variation 18 being the stand-out movement.

And then the concert takes a Shakespearean turn with Elgar’s symphonic poem Falstaff. In what Elgar considered to be one of his finest orchestral works, he paints a vivid musical portrait of the anti-hero of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, with colourful orchestrations and characterful depictions.

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.