CMC

Concert in De Vereeniging

Programme: Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto no. 1 Rimsky-Korsakov - Sheherazade The stories collectively known as 'Arabian Nights' are retold through a musical lens. Sheherazade, embodied by a solo violin, tells us about Sinbad the Sailor, the Kalendar Prince, the shenanigans of a young prince and a young princess and of a feast in Baghad, ruined by a violent storm. All of that - and so much more - is captured by Rimsky-Korsakov, in a thrilling and exhilarating piece that is justifiably one of the most well-known orchestral pieces of all time. Tchaikovsky's first Piano Concerto had a difficult start: the original recipient - Rubinstein - a close friend of Tchaikovksy, had called the piece insufferable and unplayable. Tchaikovsky, heartbroken by Rubinstein's words, refused to make any changes and got his revenge when the piece premiered in Moscow with great successes.