On new paths

British understatement is a true virtue. But it can sometimes take on slightly grotesque traits: »Actually, I’m not really that talented,« claimed Benjamin Grosvenor a few years ago. However, his magnificent career – which began when he was still a teenager and has since made him one of the world’s most sought-after pianists – tells a different story. Time and again, the international press highlights his dazzling technical prowess, combined with a sensitivity to sound and the courage to engage in poetic contemplation. Just the right blend, then, for Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, that brilliant showpiece that balances daring keyboard acrobatics with quiet introspection.

Where Rachmaninoff takes flight into a world of grand emotions, Sergei Prokofiev remains rooted in solemn reflection. His darkly timbred Sixth Symphony is a meditation on the horrors of the Second World War, a masterpiece full of pain and melancholy.