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Concerto in E minor Op. 60 ‘Ballade’ (1943) after Lermontov's 'Rusalka'

When I played Medtner’s Third Piano Concerto in Huddersfield in 2010, it was apparently the first performance in the UK since the composer himself premiered the work at the Royal Albert Hall the year after its completion, with none other than Sir Adrian Boult on the podium. There has been a handful of subsequent performances but each time I return to this masterpiece I am surprised and dismayed that it has not found its way in the mainstream repertoire.

Set in three movements played without a pause, Medtner captures the mythical flavour of his compatriot’s ballad perfectly, while also ingeniously tying the whole work together with many thematic connections and masterful structural sculpting. The piano writing is of course second-to-none (this is perfectly illustrated by Medtner's own recording with the Philharmonia and Issay Dobrowen) and while it has been enormously challenging to learn the work and especially to memorise it (!) it is truly exhilarating to perform.

I am really looking forward to presenting this wonderful piece on Saturday evening at De Montfort Hall, with the Leicester Symphony Orchestra and conductor John Andrews. Please join us if you can! I sincerely hope that this might be the first of many more performances.