Philharmonia: Leonidas Kavakos & Kian Soltani

Leonidas Kavakos conductor
Kian Soltani cello

DVORÁK Vanda Overture 

SCHUMANN Cello Concerto

BRAHMS Symphony No. 1

Two world-class musicians join forces for a charming programme of classical hits.

Schumann’s Cello Concerto remains a beloved favourite in the cello repertoire. The three movements seamlessly flow as one continuous piece of music packed with emotional intensity. Full of tender lyricism, soulful melodies and a daring solo cello part, it’s perfectly suited to Kian Soltani’s "piercingly beautiful tone and utterly pure intonation" (The Times).

Brahms’s magnificent First Symphony was many years in the making. And it may never have seen the light of day without the support and friendship of Robert Schumann and his wife Clara – an article by Robert Schumann launched Brahms’s composing career when the three first met, and they soon became devoted friends. The symphony is a 45-minute journey through all the poetry and power an orchestra can conjure.

As the starter for his Romantic feast, Leonidas Kavakos has chosen a Dvorák rarity – the overture to his almost-forgotten opera Vanda. It’s a suitably dramatic scene-setter for the story of a heroic Polish queen.

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