Borodin's four Polovtsian Dances come from his opera Prince Igor. Captured by a rival chieftain, the prince is entertained in his camp by a succession of songs and dances, growing ever faster and more energetic. Philip Glass' Violin Concerto was first performed in 1987, and successfully marries the composer's typical repeated rhythms and arpeggios with longer, more lyrical lines. Its three movements follow the normal fast-slow-fast pattern, ending with a quiet coda which includes material from previous movements. The Tenth is perhaps Shostakovich's finest symphony - an epic journey, powerful and dramatic, yet with moments of touching simplicity. The first three movements, filled with a sense of struggle and dread, are balanced by a more optimistic finale completed after the death of Stalin.| 6 May 10 | Anvil Arts Basingstoke, Hampshire Performance Details => Venue archive |
