London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Antonio Pappano

Two of classical music’s most heart-rending works, Elgar's Cello Concerto and Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony, take us from the depths of emotion to intoxicating highs.

Composed in the aftermath of World War I, Elgar’s intimate, introspective Cello Concerto is a deeply elegiac work, and a reflection of a world that had been changed forever. The melody that defines its heart-breaking opening movement is almost unparalleled in its expression of grief, yet the concerto ultimately finds a path to hope and resilience.

Tchaikovsky’s 1888 Symphony No 5, with its intense emotional narrative fed by a soaring romanticism, follows a similar trajectory to the Elgar Concerto, as it ventures from darkness to hard-won triumph, all the while accompanied by a powerful ‘fate’ motif.

Cellist Alisa Weilerstein is one of the foremost interpreters of Elgar’s profound concerto, while Sir Antonio Pappano and the LSO are guaranteed to bring deep expressive power to bear on this stirring programme.

The concert will finish at approximately 8.55pm, including a 20-minute interval (timings subject to change).

Programme

Edward Elgar Cello Concerto
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No 5

Performers

London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Antonio Pappano conductor conductor
Alisa Weilerstein cello