Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 4 at Seattle Symphony, Nov. 17-19

Guest conductor Mikhail Agrest leads Seattle Symphony through a powerful program of compositions from some of Russia’s greatest composers, November 17-19. Pianist Lucas Debargue joins Agrest and the symphony for Sergey Rachmaninov‘s Piano Concerto No. 4, which was his last and remains probably the least known of his concertos. It demands a lot of active listening from audiences, and virtuosic technique from the pianist.

The night’s program opens with the far more melodic overture to Pyotr Tachaikovsky‘s opera Mazeppa. The night concludes with Dmitri Shostakovich‘s Symphony No. 11, whose aural narrative is alluded to by its subtitle: The Year 1905. The piece alluded to the Russian Revolution and was intended to be a more popular, accessible piece. (He succeeded in this, and it brought Shostakovich great claim after years of persecution by Zhdanovism.) It seems an apt selection for the present political and social climate.

Seattle Symphony presents: Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 4

When: Thursday, November 17 through Saturday, November 19, 2016

Where: Benaroya Hall (201 University St., Seattle 98101)

Get tickets and performance times online. Pre-concert talks start 1 hour prior to each performance in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium. Free with ticket purchase.

Featured image of Lucas Debargue via YouTube.