Antonio Pappano / Alexei Volodin

The Orchestra of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia conducted by Antonio Pappano, with Alexei Volodin at the piano are the protagonists of this evening which includes the Concert Overture op.12 by the Polish composer Karol Maciej Szymanowski, the Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini op.43 by Sergej Vasil'evic Rachmaninov and the Symphony n.6 “Pathetic” op. 74 by Pëtr Il'ič Tchaikovsky.

Composed in 1905, Szymanowski's Concert Overture op.12 is strongly influenced by the music of Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler, and is characterized by great intensity and expressive force.

Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini op.43 for piano and orchestra, composed in 1934, is one of the last works of the Russian composer and pianist and follows the same development as Capriccio n.24 by Niccolò Paganini, with an initial theme with variations. This theme had previously inspired other important composers such as Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms.

Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 "Pathetic" op.74, divided into four movements, is the last of the Russian composer and was performed for the first time a few days before his death, in October 1893 in St. Petersburg. For the beauty of the themes, the compositional maturity and the pathos dominating the whole symphony, it can be considered one of the most significant compositions of the great musician and represents a sort of artistic testament in which all the emotional and spiritual states of his troubled existence converge.

Winner of numerous prizes in international competitions, the Russian pianist Alexei Volodin is known for his sensitive touch and his technical brilliance; he is also the interpreter of an extremely varied repertoire. He has played with prestigious orchestras such as the Mariinsky Theater Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Orchester du Capitole de Toulouse and the Moscow Cajkovskij Symphony Orchestra and has collaborated with famous conductors, such as Valery Gergiev, Riccardo Chailly, Vladimir Fedoseyev.

Photo credits: courtesy of Alexei Volodin Facebook Page