The Full Works Concert: Friday 6 March 2015, 8pm

Catherine Bott presents an exclusive performance featuring pianist Simon Trpceski with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Classic FM's Orchestra in the North-West of England.

Tonight Catherine Bott presents another superb performance in Classic FM's year-long series celebrating the 175th anniversary of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

Tonight Vasily Petrenko conducts the RLPO in a concert recorded last month at Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool, featuring Simon Trpceski playing Ravel’s Piano Concerto.

In 1928, Ravel made a very lucrative, four-month long, 25-city concert tour of the U.SA. He went with Gershwin to hear jazz in Harlem and also visited New Orleans. His admiration of jazz caused him to include some jazz elements in a few of his later compositions, especially the two piano concertos. The Piano Concerto in G was always intended to be a frivolous work, kicking off as it does with a whip-crack. The work is filled with Gershwin-esque jazzy idioms. The beautiful second movement is to die for. ‘How I worked over it bar by bar!’ said Ravel. ‘It nearly killed me!’

Prokofiev’s witty and energetic Russian Overture is equally colourful. It was one of his first compositions after he returned to Soviet Russia in the mid‐1930s and it seems Prokofiev wanted to show his compatriots what he was capable of. Its heady, vigorous style includes impersonations of a balalaika orchestra and accordions, and an unorthodox approach to instrumentation that would never have appeared in any text book.

Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 2 in C minor, composed in 1872, was one of his most joyful compositions. The symphony was successful right from its premiere and also won the favour of the group of nationalistic Russian composers known as The Five. Because Tchaikovsky used three Ukrainian folk songs in the work, it was nicknamed the 'Little Russian' – Ukraine was known at that time as 'Little Russia'. Despite its initial success, Tchaikovsky was not satisfied with the symphony. He revised the work extensively in 1879-80, substantially rewriting the opening movement and shortening the finale.

Mendelssohn: Symphony No.4 in A major
Jun Markl conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Maurice Ravel: Piano Concerto in G major
Piano: Simon Trpceski
Vasily Petrenko conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.2 in C minor, ‘Little Russian
Vasily Petrenko conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Sergei Prokofiev: Russian Overture
Vasily Petrenko conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra