Balakirev's Islamey is a virtuosic piano piece inspired by a trip that the composer made to the Caucasus where he was much impressed by the dance tunes and folk melodies of the region. He composed the work in 1869 and it has been taken up by many great pianists. It has also twice been orchestrated, by Alfredo Casella and - in the performance heard here - by Sergei Lyapunov. This version was played as the opening item in the UK debut concert of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic, under its conductor Sascha Goetzel, during the 2014 BBC Proms Season in London's Royal Albert Hall.
