Taking his cue from those thunderous words, the young Rachmaninoff hurled himself into the mother of all First Symphonies. Dark, turbulent and burning with unrequited passion, it’s a real gothic melodrama – lost (but later recovered) when its composer fled the Russian Revolution for a life of exile. The concert also features Kinan Azmeh’s jazz-inspired Clarinet Concerto – music infused with the sounds of his native Syria, and performed tonight by the composer himself.

This concert was filmed on 18 January 2023 at Royal Festival Hall

Kinan Azmeh Wedding
Kinan Azmeh Clarinet Concerto
Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 1