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Pianist Benjamin Grosvenor joins the Royal Northern Sinfonia and conductor Dinis Sousa, for an edge-of-the-seat evening. From Grażyna Bacewicz’s Pensieri notturni (Night Thoughts) and Dmitri Shostakovich’s rule breaking Piano Concerto No. 1 to Tchaikovsky’s supercharged and sometimes frenzied Symphony No. 4.

Fresh from the traumatic breakdown of an extremely short lived marriage, battling depression and wrestling with his sexuality, it’s no surprise that the music Tchaikovsky wrote at the time, his Fourth Symphony, is heartfelt. Incredibly emotional, one moment it’s tormented and anguished, the next it’s optimistic and confident. Shostakovich’s First Piano Concerto is entirely different – it’s much more ‘economical’ than Tchaikovsky’s ‘full fat’ piece, feeling bright and breezy in comparison, full of uplifting tunes and with frequent sudden changes of direction, keeping the listener wondering where they’re headed next. Bacewicz’s Pensieri notturni starts the night with intrigue – a piece full of unusual textures and ghostly sounds.

Recorded on 14th June 2025 at the The Glasshouse, Gatehead

Presented by Mark Forrest.

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Grażyna Bacewicz - Pensieri notturni
Dmitri Shostakovich - Piano Concerto No. 1
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 4

Benjamin Grosvenor (piano)
Royal Northern Sinfonia
Dinis Sousa (conductor)

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