Make a date with Melvyn Tan and the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra on Valentine's Day

Brighton Dome Concert Hall, Church Street, Sunday, February 14, 2.45pm, from £11.50, call 01273 709709

One of the world’s most versatile pianists joins the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra on Sunday afternoon as its guest soloist.

Melvyn Tan established his international reputation with pioneering performances on the fortepiano, the precursor of the more resonant modern piano.

Tan’s renditions of the Beethoven piano concertos on the instrument were revelatory. His present day performances of such masterpieces on the modern concert grand reflect his deep understanding of historical playing styles.

No wonder then that The Guardian describes him as "Among the most thoughtful, elegant and refined of pianists".

He brings his finesse to the romanticism of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2, with the orchestra under the baton of Barry Wordsworth.

The concert opens with Weber’s Invitation To The Dance, a suite of enchanting waltz melodies for piano, later transformed by Berlioz into a sparkling orchestral showpiece.

This is followed by the famous Intermezzo from Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana, where sublime serenity rises to an ecstatic climax that aptly reflects both the calm and joy of Easter morning in a Sicilian village.

The main work of the concert will be Rimsky-Korsakov’s mighty symphonic suite Scheherazade, based on the story of the Arabian Nights, one the most lavish and colourful works in the orchestral repertoire.

For lovers of orchestral magic interlaced with pianistic poetry and virtuosity, this Valentine’s Day concert promises to be something of a real treat.

Peter Back