Lugansky Plays Rach 2

Dynamic guest conductor Pierre Bleuse brings fresh air and vigour to a programme that begins with Barber’s concentrated miniature symphony.

Rachmaninov’s most intensely romantic concerto starts with the tolling of bells over tormented strings, and the slow movement is an achingly beautiful duet between clarinet and piano.

In contrast, Charles Ives’ joyous symphony is an affectionate, sentimental recollection of the 19th-century New England of his youth: hymn tunes, student songs and square-dances with raucous fiddles, are all mixed together in a nostalgic musical patchwork.