BBC National Orchestra of Wales to perform Tchaikovsky’s infrequently played Piano Concerto No 2

PRLog (Press Release) - Feb 11, 2010 -
On Friday 19 February at St David’s Hall Cardiff at 7pm and Saturday 20 February at 7.30pm at Brangwyn Hall, Swansea, BBC National Orchestra of Wales will perform two of Tchaikovsky’s famous works.

Tchaikovsky’s rarely performed Piano Concerto No 2 was written between 1879 and 1880. It was dedicated to famous pianist Nikolai Rubinstein who had asked to perform it at the premiere as a way of making up for his harsh criticism of Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto. However, he was never destined to play it however, as he died in March 1881 before the premiere took place.
Intimate and lyrical with a slow movement dominated by piano, solo violin and solo cello, this concert provides an exciting opportunity to hear this seldom performed work.

In February in Cardiff and Swansea, John Lill will join Wales’ national Orchestra to perform the piece. John Lill replaces Simon Trpčeski who due to unforeseen circumstances is unable to perform.

Arguably Britain's most well known pianist John Lill has recently celebrated his 60th birthday with a series of concerts throughout the UK and first came to international attention when he won the coveted Tchaikovsky award in Moscow in 1970. Known for his aristocratic interpretations of Beethoven and the great masters of the nineteenth and twentieth century piano repertoire, John Lill performs all over the world and was awarded a CBE in the 2005 New Year's Honours List. His previous performances of Tchaikovsky’s Second Piano Concerto have received rave reviews.

Conducting the Orchestra for both evenings will be Walter Weller, one of the old school of Viennese conductors and steeped in history of the city’s performing traditions. Since the 2007/08 season, Walter Weller has held the post of Music Director of the Orchestre National de Belgique. Royal Scottish National Orchestra’s Conductor Emeritus. Weller is also Conductor Laureate to the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker and holds the position of Associate Director with the Orchestra of Valencia, Spain. Weller regularly conducts major orchestras throughout the world.

Completing the programme for the concerts will be Symphony No. 5, written later by Tchaikovsky  during 1888 and was first performed in St Petersburg conducted by the composer. Today it is one of his most performed compositions, an epic expression of musical energy and anxiety. Based on a central programmatic theme, a ‘motto’ that Tchaikovsky imagines as representative of fate, heard in the first movement as the distant rumble of a funeral march, the motto theme becomes increasingly optimistic until, in the finale, Tchaikovsky transforms his fate into a triumphant march.

Booking Information:
Tickets for the St David’s Hall, Cardiff Concert are £10 - £22 and tickets for the Swansea Brangwyn Hall concert are £11.50 to £14.50 both with discounts and family tickets available from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales Audience Line on 0800 052 1812.

For further information on BBC National Orchestra of Wales visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/now.