Tickets:£5 – £22.50

Beethoven’s Symphony No 6, is one of only two that the composer himself intentionally named. In announcing the full title – ‘Pastoral Symphony, or Recollections of Country Life’ – Beethoven publicly declared an ‘extramusical’ purpose. The piece reflected Beethoven’s affinity with the rural landscape and his love of walks through the countryside outside Vienna.  Although Beethoven noted in the programme for the premiere, that the music contained ‘more an expression of feeling than painting’, there are elements in the five movements that are descriptive as well as expressive, providing plenty of variety for the audience to engage with.

Beethoven’s Overture Leonore No 3, is recognised as a triumph in dramatic music, distilling the essence of the opera so exactly that Beethoven ultimately decided to write an alternative, less powerful, version for the opera that ‘gave away’ slightly less.  Akin to a compelling symphonic poem, the music takes us from the darkness of Florestan’s prison cell, through memories of brighter days, and music filled with fire and action, before the simple rapture of reprieve introduces the final triumphal and heroic climax.

Having performed Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy with Hastings Philharmonic in our opening 2016/2017 season, we are delighted to welcome the multi-award-winning Russian pianist, Maxim Kinasov, to play Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto.

No. 1 with Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra to open our 2021 season.

Tchaikovsky composed his Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor during an intensive period in 1874, with orchestrations and revisions completed in subsequent years. The thunderously triumphant opening chords of this mighty concerto are among the most famous in all classical music, and it became the first piece of classical music to sell a million records when, in 1958, the pianist Van Cliburn wowed the world with his impassioned recording.

​All three movements of this deeply expressive concerto are sublimely romantic. The expansive, sweeping opening movement is showy; the middle movement contains soulful melodies with some beautiful interplay between the soloist and orchestra; and the edge-of-your-seat finale is an electrifying thrill from start to finish.

All-in-all, this concert is full of richness, variety and musical excitement – it promises to be a fantastic start to a new year of music making.