Radio 3 in Concert: BBC Philharmonic and John Storgards from Manchester

From the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, presented by Tom McKinney. "I don't myself quite know why the quotations are there but I could not, could not, not include them", Shostakovich explained to a friend in discussion about his last symphony, the Fifteenth. Premiered in 1972 in Moscow, it is music incorporating a lifetime's immersion in music, but also reflecting the dichotomy of a creative life navigating extremely dangerous political currents and unimaginable loss. So it's not surprising that this last Symphony is full of questions and contradictions. Why does he include Rossini's William Tell galop and music by Wagner, and how intently should we look at the references to his own music? Do we really hear the whir of a heart monitor at the end of the piece? Where do we cross the line between playful and sardonic? There are clearly messages for today which are vitally important for us; what conclusions should we draw or questions ask? Opening the programme is Rachmaninov's tone poem The Isle of the Dead; a glance at the painting by Arnold Böcklin makes it clear where this music takes us; the constant movement of the dark waves and the Dies Irae plain chant, and Rachmaninov's instrumentation blending colour within darkness, lead us inexorably towards death, inevitable and, in this music, compassionate and accepting. Cellist Nicolas Altstaedt joins the orchestra for Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations, his most classical work, uncomplicated in message, witty and charming, played here in Tchaikovsky's rarely heard original version. Nicolas Altstaedt (cello), BBC Philharmonic, conductor John Storgards. Rachmaninov: The Isle of the Dead. Tchaikovsky: Rococo Variations. 8.15 Music Interval. 8.30 Shostakovich: Symphony No 15