Norfolk Symphony Orchestra

Programme:
Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No. 2
Shostakovich - Symphony No. 11

The two mighty works in this programme are both referred to as 'cinematic', although in neither case was this intended by the composer.

Rachmaninov’s gorgeous Piano Concerto No.2 is, for many people, always associated with the soundtrack of the film Brief Encounter. Shostakovich’s titanic 11th Symphony, on the other hand was written as a response to the massacre of protestors by the Russian Imperial Guard, which led to the 1905 Revolution.

This has been described as 'a film score without a film' as it depicts the events of the day in one huge sweep of narrative sound.