MARKUS POSCHNER / ROMAN BORISOV

So here he is at the podium for a programme dedicated to heroism. Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 is a Mount Everest for pianists, and Roman Borisov stands out with his passionate, unadorned interpretation. This tour de force for the soloist is followed by another work of powerful scope: A Hero’s Life. Whilst Richard Strauss liked to draw inspiration from literary characters, the hero in this piece is perhaps none other than himself. Indeed, he quotes several of his own compositions in this symphonic poem, in which he drives a gigantic orchestra to fever pitch.