Homage to Tchaikovsky in Paris

Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky:
The Voyevoda, Symphonic Ballad, Op. 78; Piano Concerto #1 in B Flat minor, Op. 23; Symphony #5 in E minor, Op. 64
Romeo and Juliet, Overture-Fantasy; Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35; Symphony #4 in F minor, Op. 36
Evgeny Kissin, piano
Vadim Repin, violin
Philharmonia Orchestra/Vladimir Ashkenazy
Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Paris, 7-8 January 2014

Vladimir Ashkenazy (© Fred Toulet)

To start the year, Parisian music lovers were treated to a small but highly delectable Tchaikovsky homage when the Philharmonia Orchestra under their Conductor Laureate Vladimir Ashkenazy appeared for two consecutive nights at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées. Following the traditional setup of overture, concerto and symphony, both programs consisted of a trio of Tchaikovsky masterpieces, spanning with Romeo and Juliet (1869, rev. 1880) and The Voyevoda (1890) the majority of his creative activity. The presence of two sterling Russian artists, Evgeny Kissin and Vadim Repin, luminous soloists in respectively the First Piano Concerto and the Violin Concerto, added considerably to the attraction of this mini Tchaikovsky fest.
Read the full review on Classical Net