Since winning the 11th International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1998, Denis Matsuev has established a reputation as one of Russia's leading pianists. His debut release on the Mariinsky label received widespread acclaim. For his third release, Matsuev turns to the music of Tchaikovsky, with the Piano Concertos Nos.1 & 2. Tchaikovsky's first Piano Concerto is one of his most popular works. Tchaikovsky balances core motivic elements with a sense of lyrical spontaneity to create a technically challenging but instantly appealing work. The Piano Concerto No.2 was dedicated to pianist Nikolai Rubinstein. After a tremendous piano cadenza in the first movement, Tchaikovsky allows other instruments to shine, with prominent solos for violin and cello in the second movement.

When Gianandrea Noseda was appointed Chief Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic, great things were expected – the reputation of this young conductor preceded him. What was less expected was the diversity of repertoire that he would conduct, with equal success. His releases for Chandos, from Prokofiev to Dallapiccola, routinely pick up accolades from the critics. This disc features two of Dvorak’s neglected concertos, performed with great élan by soloists James Ehnes and Rustem Hayroudinoff. Both works have been overshadowed by Dvorak’s more popular Cello Concerto in B minor, but, as is apparent from this recording, both are delightful pieces, full of Slavic colour and folk rhythms, and characteristic of Dvorak at his best.

Ivan Fischer’s follow up to his rapturously received recording of Brahms’ Symphony No.1 in 2009 – “monumental in every sense of the word…Outstanding.” as Andrew Clements in The Guardian put it.

LSO Live explore the music of America s most influential living composer with performances of three of his most iconic works: 'Sextet', 'Clapping Music' and 'Music for Pieces of Wood'. Employing Reich s universally recognisable sound world, 'Sextet' uses hypnotic repetitions of a sequence of harmonies, which gradually overlap and interweave, resulting in a complex yet utterly compelling musical landscape. Introducing more dissonance and aggressive rhythms than previous compositions, the relationship of the five movements is that of an arch form, A-B-C-B-A.

The Feast of the Ascension, celebrated on the 40th day of Easter, is one of the chief feasts of the Christian year, in which the resurrected Jesus was taken up to Heaven in the presence of eleven of his disciples. The Feast of Pentecost, which falls ten days after Ascension seven Sundays (50 days, hence the name) after Easter Sunday commemorates in the Christian church the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. Both feasts are rich in imagery and in musical material. Many of the Ascensiontide works in this programme set all or parts of psalm 47, whose fifth verse begins God is gone up with a merry noise .