Russian music dominated the last day but one of the Annecy Classic Festival! This evening’s program at the Church of St. Bernadette featured the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra under Yuri Temirkanov in grand performances, firstly of Tchaikovsky’s Polonaise from Act III of his opera Eugene Onegin; then, that pearl of Russian genius, his Variations on a Rococo Theme, with Alexander Knyazev on solo cello. Tchaikovsky was followed by an offbeat new interpretation of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor for piano, trumpet & strings by Chinese prodigy Yuja Wang. Finally, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic gave due eloquence to Mussorgsky’s magisterial Pictures at an Exhibition, orchestrated by Ravel.

Victor Alexandrov, the AVC Charity Foundation music reviewer