Piano Pyrotechnics

Experience piano prowess like you’ve never heard before with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Marta Gardolińska conducts Vadym Kholodenko through Chopin’s first Piano Concerto at Lighthouse, Poole on Wednesday 21 January.Tchaikovsky’s Polonaise from Eugene Onegin is probably the greatest concert example of this dance ever written. Generally stately, this one has flair, with large orchestral gestures and the kind of catchy tune that sticks in the mind for ages. Chopin’s gift for melody absolutely shines throughout his First Piano Concerto, which established him as a talent to be watched and launched his international fame. It opens with a grand orchestral sweep before the piano enters with a dazzling display of technical virtuosity, culminating in a race to the end with a series of blazing scales and arpeggios both enthralling and exhausting. Mendelssohn’s impressions of the “comfortless, inhospitable solitude” of a Scottish walking holiday were the inspiration behind this stirring symphony, dedicated to Queen Victoria. Its haunting recurring theme came to the young composer as he explored the ruined chapel at Holyrood Palace.Works and composers:Tchaikovsky - Polonaise from Eugene OneginChopin - Piano Concerto No.1Mendelssohn - Symphony No.3 'Scottish'This concert is part of an ongoing series on Wednesday evenings at Lighthouse, Poole. Multibuy discounts are on offer for all concerts booked through the BSO Box Office – so the more you visit, the more you save! They will also be streaming 19 Digital Concerts this season so check out their What’s On page on bsolive.com, to see which concerts you can watch from the comfort of your own home.