This concert pairs two giants of 20th century music (who were also friends) at polar ends of their lives. Britten’s youthful genius shines through in this early work for strings while Shostakovich’s penultimate symphony, part song-cycle, part symphony, was written in the shadow of death. Conductor and Shostakovich expert Mark Wigglesworth believes it’s the composer’s finest work, a symphony about mortality that gives ‘the most inspirational of messages’. Live broadcast on Â鶹Éç Radio 3, presented by Kate Molleson.