Kensington Symphony Orchestra

Kensington Symphony Orchestra is joined by BBC Young Musician finalist Firoze Madon for Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (1934).

A set of 24 variations on the last of Paganini’s 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, this popular showpiece is most famous for its slow 18th variation which features on numerous film and TV soundtracks.

Music director Russell Keable also leads KSO in The Sea and the Seagulls (1911/orch. 1930), Respighi’s orchestration of a piano piece from Rachmaninov’s Études-Tableaux, Op. 33.

The concert opens with Anatoly Lyadov’s tone poem Kikimora (1909) which exhibits an exceptional flair for orchestral colour as it tells the story of a monster’s evil plans, and concludes with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 1 (1924-25), completed when the composer was just 19.

Combining tragedy with wit, the work was an immediate success. Critics have since argued that it was influenced by vaudeville music, Stravinsky’s Petrushka, and Richard Strauss.