RPO Journeys of Discovery: Conflict by Tchaikovsky, P. I., Shostakovich, De la (2023/2023), Dirijor Vasily Petrenko, South Bank Centre, London, United Kingdom

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra lets loose with a Tchaikovsky concerto firing arrows to the heart, and a Shostakovich symphony pulling no punches. Tchaikovsky laboured long and hard on his first piano concerto, revising it three times. The result was a work that has stood the test of time, shooting its arrow direct to the heart. All sentiments are there: fury, serenity, joy and – of course – passion. Tonight it’s played by Nobuyuki Tsujii. Shostakovich’s response to the unfathomable losses of the Second World War was to write a work that did not shy away from the ugliness and chaos of the indiscriminate suffering that had been unleashed. As is so often the case with his music, listening to the Eighth Symphony offers a catharsis, moving from unrelenting pressure to finding final release. ‘All that is dark and evil rots away, and beauty triumphs,’ wrote the composer. And yet the hallmark of Shostakovich is his ambiguity. After the pain and suffering, can anything ever be the same again?