12 May 2015. Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto and Shostakovich's 15th at the Barbican

The concert opened with Balakirev's Islamey. It was unfamiliar to me and quite a brief piece to be found on You Tube as a piano challenge.

Next was the violin concerto, played by Nikolaj Znaider. I liked his approach which seemed almost jazzy at one point. He plays a Guarneri 'del Gesu' violin from 1741, which was remarkable for the volume it produced.

Finally there was Shostakovich's 15th symphony which seemed quite playful with its references to other works such as the William Tell overture.

All in all an enjoyable evening