Tchaikovsky’s Fifth

"Tchaikovsky’s Fifth" encapsulates the relentless force of destiny, shifting between calm and destruction. Conductor Kensho Watanabe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s first conducting student and one of the OM’s favourite conductors, brings his renowned sensitivity and versatility to this symphony. The inevitability of death lies at the core of Rachmaninoff’s symphonic poem "Isle of the Dead." Inspired by the painting of the same name, the composer masterfully translates its atmosphere into music, depicting death as a landscape. Russian-Canadian composer Airat Ichmouratov’s Bassoon Concerto is the latest instalment in a series of commissions by the Orchestre Métropolitain that showcase the talents of its first chairs.