Like the famous ‘Pathétique’ Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.5 entrusts the orchestra with the secrets of an anguished and idealistic soul. In counterpoint, the verve of young Beethoven unfolds under the fingers of Kirill Gerstein.

Tchaikovsky was still under the spell of his Hamlet overture-fantasia when, in 1888, he composed his Symphony No.5, both a poem of fate and an intimate vision of his inner torment. Unified by a cyclical theme, the four movements seem to seek serenity through darkness until, in a grandiose Finale, the possibility of consolation in faith bursts forth.

Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.2, still Mozart-like in its construction, displays its brio in three movements: the classical dialectic of the Allegro with its spectacular soloist pace; the more contemplative lyricism of the Largo, which contains one of the most sublime melodic inspirations of Beethoven’s early period; and the joyful, youthful verve of the Finale, whose refrain, as legend has it, was composed in a rush the night before the premiere!