Dallas Symphony Orchestra: Britten Piano Concerto (Sado/Taverna)

YUTAKA SADO conducts
ALESSANDRO TAVERNA piano

YASUSHI AKUTAGAWA Triptyque
BRITTEN Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique”

Is Tchaikovsky’s searing final work — shrouded in mystery — his farewell to the world? You will decide. The music begins in the bassoon’s lowest register — dark and melancholy, with tumult and anguish to follow, but also a waltz with an offbeat rhythm. The tone of this expressive program is established right from the start, with the pairing of Akutagawa’s evocative Triptyque and Britten’s rarely performed but powerful Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra.