Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra
Brighton Dome Concert Hall, Church Street, Sunday, March 1

On Sunday afternoon the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra plays host to one of the UK’s most exciting young violinists, Tamsin Waley-Cohen. She is the soloist in Bruch’s Violin Concerto No 1, where romantic lyricism and rhythmic energy join forces to produce one of the most loved of all violin concertos. Tamsin will play the concerto on a 1721 Stradivarius violin, made during the great Cremonese maker’s so-called “golden period”.

The concert opens with Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, written as part of the incidental music to a production of Goethe’s play of the same name. Goethe’s drama is a passionate espousal of liberty and a bitter denunciation of tyranny – things very close to Beethoven’s heart. The passion and energy of the overture’s themes perfectly encapsulate the spirit of the drama.

To mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Jean Sibelius, the concert will conclude with a performance of the Finnish composer’s Symphony No 1 In E Minor. The symphony’s heady emotionalism is clearly indebted to Tchaikovsky, but the true source of Sibelius’s inspiration is the culture, legends, climate, and above all the breathtaking scenery of his beloved Finland. Sibelius habitually went on long walks to bathe in its unique vistas.

This country of pine forests and lakes is quite unlike any other in Northern Europe, and its impact on the music of its most celebrated composer was incalculable. Overwhelming in its impact, Sibelius’s First Symphony is also one of his greatest.

Essential info: Starts 2.45pm, tickets from £11. Call 01273 709709

Peter Back