Four pianists celebrate the riches of the Russian piano repertoire before and after the momentous events of 1917, when the country was shaken by not one but two revolutions. For the Russian people, life changed utterly as society was remodelled from top to bottom. Composers’ reactions varied widely. Rachmaninov left Russia as quickly as he could, soon followed by Medtner and Prokofiev – who would later return home.

The Shostakovich family, by contrast, welcomed the revolutions – though precocious young Dmitri was only eleven at the time. This series marks the centenary with four concerts that each feature Russian piano music both 'before' and 'after' 1917: from Tchaikovsky through Rachmaninov and Medtner to Prokofiev and Shostakovich.