This concert pairs two works each of which marked a pivotal moment in its composer’s career. In the Piano Concerto of 1845 Schumann finally succeeded – with the help and inspiration of his beloved Clara – in writing a major orchestral work which received immediate and enduring recognition. Nearly a century later Shostakovich successfully realigned his career by writing the Fifth Symphony which not only disarmed his critics but, in its skilful balancing of all his best qualities – meditation, humour and grandeur – enabled him to remain true to himself.