Sibelius’ Symphony No.2 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal and Derngate Theatre 19-21 Guildhall Road, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN1 1DPVasily Petrenko Conductor Boris Giltburg Piano Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Nielsen Maskarade Overture Grieg Piano Concerto Sibelius Symphony No.2 The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) returns to the Royal & Derngate stage, joining forces with acclaimed pianist Boris Giltburg and conducted by RPO Musical Director, Vasily Petrenko. ‘Titanic’ was how one critic described the playing of Boris Giltburg, and they didn’t stop there: ‘Giltburg had enormous reserves of firepower – and of musing poetry, too – to open up whole worlds of feeling and imagination.’ Now imagine him bringing all his wizardry to one of the best-loved showpieces of all time – Grieg’s evergreen (and gloriously tuneful) Piano Concerto. It’s the big heart of a concert that begins with the bright and witty Overture from Danish composer Carl Nielsen’s neo-classical comic Opera Maskarade, and ends beneath the Northern Lights of Finland, as Sibelius’ mighty Second Symphony grows from tranquil beginnings to a soaring hymn of triumph. ‘He made me listen to the music afresh… the whole trajectory of the piece became clearer. The audience’s reaction was fervent and impassioned, and rightly so.’ Seen and Heard International on Boris Giltburg, February 2024
