Prokofiev & Shor

Many people have been looking forward to Behzod Abduraimov's performance of Prokofjev's Second Piano Concerto – that powerful work which caused a scandal at its première near Sint-Petersburg in 1913 because it was considered too futuristic. The version we hear nowadays is the reconstruction that Prokofjev himself made in 1923, after the original score was lost when he left Russia.

Abduraimov delivers a stunning performance of the work together with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Vasily Petrenko. Prokofjev's piece forms a strong contrast with Alexey Shor's First Piano Concerto, which was composed and first performed in 2023. Abduraimov embraces the contrast between the two works:

"The depth and complexity of Prokofjev's universe are placed against the more lyrical and accessible art of Shor. Each work reflects different aspects of human experience, and I think it is good to share this diversity of feelings, textures and atmospheres.