BBC Proms: Russian Classics

Bristol Beacon, Bristol

Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances is a summation of his career, a whirling phantasmagoria of rhythm and melody. The Russian spirit also runs through both Shostakovich’s Festive Overture and his sardonically witty Cello Concerto No. 1. Gubaidulina’s Fairy-Tale Poem introduces a whimsical element, a sumptuous musical fantasy about the adventures of a piece of chalk.