As a cover conductor: San Diego Symphony: Storms and Fireworks: Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique”

Nicholas Carter, conductor
Benjamin Grosvenor, piano
San Diego Symphony Orchestra

BRITTEN: Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Op 33A
RAVEL: Piano Concerto in G Major
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, “Pathétique”

Three of the best-loved pieces in the symphonic repertoire come together in this concert which sweeps forward from the thrilling theatre of Benjamin Britten’s “Sea Interludes” from his opera Peter Grimes, depicting the changing colors, the play of light and the terrifying storms of the North Sea between the UK and Germany, to Ravel’s beloved G Major Piano Concerto, with its glittering echoes of American jazz in the outer movements, and a haunting tribute to Bach and Mozart in the lyrical central movement. This concert ends with one of the best known of all symphonies, Tchaikovsky’s Sixth, nicknamed by his brother “Pathétique”, in response to the music’s terrifying mixture of drama and heartfelt melodies.