LSO with Haitink and Mitsuko Uchida, Barbican

Mitsuko Uchida, one of today’s most sought-after Mozart interpreters performs under the baton of a conductor with a particular affinity for the composer’s music. Mozart’s exquisite Piano Concerto No. 22 is the centrepiece of this concert, part of a series celebrating the London Symphony Orchestra’s partnerships with some of the great conductors of our age. Bernard Haitink’s intuitive connection with the LSO means that this promises to be a very special performance indeed.

Mitsuko Uchida’s elegant playing complements the clarity of Mozart’s writing perfectly. The pianist made her name in this repertoire, and her interpretations are considered the benchmark recordings by many critics. Uchida finds the poetic content in the music, revealing the emotional depth while maintaining grace and poise.

Based on a symbolist poem by Stéphane Mallarmé, Debussy’s Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune is one of the composer’s most ground-breaking works. His sensuous harmonies, shimmering orchestration and seemingly unbroken musical flow evoke the dream-like state of the poem. Brahms’s final masterpiece, Symphony No. 4, is one of his most finely-crafted creations, revealing his mastery of the genre while pushing at its boundaries. Reflective in nature and tinged with melancholy, the work traces a path towards the sombre passacaglia finale.

Haitink has been conducting the LSO for around two decades now, with the performances and recordings produced from this partnership reaching new levels of artistic achievement. The focus and intensity of his interpretations result in electric live performances. With three masterpieces from three centuries of classical music and two of classical music’s leading lights, this will be very special indeed. 

Click here to book tickets via the Barbican's website.