During this weekend we shall explore the work of four great composers whose careers, and the very different paths they took, illustrate clearly the impact of the huge changes that came about in Russia in the early twentieth century. They are: Serge Rachmaninov, who fled his homeland just before the Revolution in 1917; Igor Stravinsky, who left as a young man to achieve greatness first in Europe, then the USA; Sergey Prokofiev, who left in the 1920s, but later returned; and Dmitry Shostakovich, who, despite his battles with the Communist regime, remained in Russia throughout his life. This course includes a ticket for the Sunday afternoon concert by the Coull Quartet.