Gianandrea Noseda pits Shostakovich's deeply affecting poem of suffering against the fourth of Beethoven's piano concertos, a theatrical tour-de-force.
The last of Beethoven’s own works that he could perform before becoming totally deaf, the Fourth Piano Concerto is a proudly unique creation. Rather than have the soloist and orchestra co-operating and collaborating, Beethoven has them facing off against each other, with the orchestra bellowing in anger at times, 'like Orpheus confronting the shades of Hell' wrote E M Forster.
A vision of hell could also be ascribed to Shostakovich's Eighth Symphony; ‘an attempt to reflect the terrible tragedy of war’ the composer said, a war in which 27 million of his fellow Russians were killed. The fourth movement is possibly the most terrifying music Shostakovich ever wrote. We travel from darkness into light, yearning more for peace than for victory.
Programme
Performers
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Booking fees
£4 booking fee per online/phone transaction.
No fee when tickets are booked in person.
Booking fees are per transaction and not per ticket. If your booking contains several events the highest booking fee will apply. The booking fee may be reduced on certain events. Members do not pay booking fees.
Barbican Hall
Location
The Barbican Hall is located within the main Barbican building. Head to Level G and follow the signs to find your seating level.
Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS
Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.
We’ve plenty of places for you to relax and replenish, from coffee and cake to wood-fired pizzas and full pre-theatre menus
Mobility
Spaces for wheelchair users in row U at the rear of the stalls (up to sixteen, depth of row 180cm) and the back row of the circle (four), both with fold-down companion seats. Some seats in row S of the stalls for people with very limited mobility.
Assistance dogs
Assistance dogs may be taken into the concert hall where there are a limited number of suitable seats in row G of the stalls. If you prefer, you may leave your dog with a member of the cloakroom staff during the performance.
Hearing facility
There is an induction loop in the concert hall. You can use this by adjusting your hearing aid to the ‘T’ setting.
Free large-print programmes
These are available for most of our concerts. Please contact [email protected] at least a week beforehand, to prebook a large-print programmme.
For more access information, please visit our Accessibility section.
