Grieghallen

Wednesday, November 22 at 19:30

Thursday, November 23 at 19.30

Rachmaninov's monumental choral symphony and dramatic piano concerto.

Sergei Rachmaninov began composing the choral symphony The Bells of Rome in April 1913, and completed it at home in Russia in November of the same year. He thought the work was perhaps the best he had written, and conducted the premiere on November 30, 1913 in St. Petersburg. He found the inspiration for the work in Edgar Allan Poe's poem The Bells, which was sent to him anonymously by a Russian music student. Bells have had great spiritual and cultural significance in Russian culture, and bell ringing was part of Rakhmaninov's upbringing: "Throughout my life I have found joy in the sound of bells, whether they chimed messages of joy or heralded sad events. The love of bells is inherent in every Russian - said the composer in 1913. Vespers is written for three soloists, choir and large orchestra. It rings in bells and Rachmaninov's masterful orchestration mimics bells. It is about memories evoked by the sound.

Rachmaninov composed his large-scale, technically challenging, romantic and dramatic Piano Concerto No. 3 in 1909. The work was in the shadow of Piano Concerto No. 2 for quite some time, but is now frequently performed. Tonight's soloist is the Russian-American star pianist Kirill Gerstein, who has also previously played with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.

Edward Gardner - conductor

Anush Hovhannisyan - soprano

Toby Spence - tenor

Andrei Kymach - baritone

Kirill Gerstein - piano

Bergen Philharmonic Choir

Edvard Grieg Choir

Voces Timisiensis, Timisoara Philharmonic Cross Chamber Choir

Håkon Matti Skrede- choirmaster

Sergei Rakhmaninov

The Bells, choral symphony

Sergei Rakhmaninov

Piano Concerto no. 3