Philharmonic Orchestra: Journeys of Discovery: Ecstasy tickets

The orchestra is joined by pianist Javier Perianes for this concert, where the works operate at the edges of our experience: where fantasy meets myth, the soul escapes its earthly bounds, and where the passion of young love consumes all before it.

Prokofiev and Wagner give new life to the tales of star-crossed lovers, whether Romeo and Juliet or Tristan and Isolde.

Sriabin then takes Wagner’s theme of transfiguration to the point of full orchestral explosion in The Poem of Ecstasy. ‘Like a bath of ice, cocaine and rainbows’ was how Henry Miller described it.

Ravel offers a moment to step back from the emotional fray with his piano concerto, capturing the innocent excitement and wonder of a child. The simple allure of the music covers its sophistication.

In the case of the slow movement, where time seems to stop, the exquisite balancing of parts brought the composer ‘to the edge of despair’. He persevered, and the result was perfection.

To capture such ecstatic states requires a special gift. Few composers can stretch a languorous melody over endlessly twisting chords like Wagner or Prokofiev, suspend time like Ravel, or summon up a trippy universe like Scriabin.

‘His demeanour and technique… radiate calm, yet the precision and speed of his fingerwork can be quite shattering. Seldom, if ever, have I encountered such a combination of evident modesty and utter brilliance.’

The Sunday Times (on Javier Perianes)