Mendelssohn’s musical postcard of a Hebridean visit conjures up a whole seascape including the grandeur of Fingal’s Cave, the swelling of the sea, the light on the water and the fury of the waves breaking on the cliffs. Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto was the last important work written in its entirety before his death. Listening to it, two things are immediately apparent; firstly the seeming simplicity of the major themes and secondly the seamless interaction between soloist and orchestra, creating a work of genius. The fresh, sweet and lightness-of-touch of Tchaikovsky’s First Symphony betrays none of the nagging self-doubt that attended its creation as he grappled with the challenge of fusing distinctly Ukrainian folk melodies into a structured symphony. He gave some descriptive titles to the first movements: Reveries of a Winter Journey and Land of Desolation, Land of Mists.

Watch our pre-concert talk about Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.1