“I have written a cello concerto but am sorry to this day that I did so, and I never intend to write another,” Dvořák wrote, decrying his Concerto in A major. We have cellist Hanuš Wihan to thank for insisting he write another in B Minor. It is performed here by Alban Gerhardt on his famously battered Goffriller cello (see page 64). The program opens with the folk-infused overture of Smetana’s The Bartered Bride, while Tchaikovsky’s mighty Symphony No. 4 brings this very Slavic affair to a close. Asher Fisch conducts.

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Smetana’s spirited overture sets the scene for celebration, as one of WASO’s favourite guests, Alban Gerhardt, makes his much-anticipated return with Dvořák’s ever-popular Cello Concerto. Inspired by the composer’s homesick longings and a tragic love, this cornerstone of the repertoire demands the utmost emotional commitment and prowess from its soloist.

With his Fourth Symphony, Tchaikovsky transformed his personal battle with fate into a potent and powerful work of art. Swirling between darkness and light, anguish and hope, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony ultimately triumphs to deliver a  joyous finale of life-affirming energy.