Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, conducted here by Juraj Valcuha, follows a familiar musical trajectory from despair to triumph over its four movements. Though declared a failure both critically and by the composer himself after its first performances, it has become one of his most popular works today, and was particularly championed during World War II. One of the most notable performances was by the Leningrad Radio Symphony Orchestra in 1941 during the Siege of Leningrad, which was also broadcast live to London. As the second movement began, bombs started to fall nearby, but the orchestra continued playing until the final note. This concert also features Dvořák's Cello Concerto performed by rising star Alisa Weilerstein.
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More concerts at Royal Festival Hall:
Wagner 200 in London
May 22 2013, 19:30 - Royal Festival Hall
Sir Andrew Davis celebrates Wagner's bicentenary, conducting excerpts from Die Meistersinger and Die Walküre
Salonen conducts in London
May 30 2013, 19:30 - Royal Festival Hall
Esa-Pekka conducts The Rite of Spring in its centenary performance alongside Debussy's Prelude à l'après-midi d'un faune and Varèse's Amériques









