This very classy concert, conducted by Gergely Madaras, opened with Pētris Vasks’ descriptively-titled, work for strings Musica Serena – a delightfully gentle, introspective preparation before the exhilarating ride to come.

The chunky substance of the evening came in two Nordic masterpieces: Grieg’s Piano Concerto and Sibelius’ First Symphony.

Louis Schwizgebel was the soloist in the Grieg. He certainly captured the splendour but also the melodic majesty of this perpetual favourite. His performance exemplified the essence of “concerto” and achieved what we hoped for in terms of both virtuosity and lyricism. The first movement bounded in, with all its excitement and thrills, while the Adagio’s intimate consolation made most seductive contrast. In the finale, the soloist created a piano line reminiscent of a high-performance racing vessel sailing through a turbulent sea of orchestral activity. Everyone crossed the winning line together in a blaze of glory accompanied by cheers and applause from the Lighthouse audience. A great experience, contrasted by a softly romantic encore.

Sibelius’s First Symphony is a hard work – not in the way of so-called wrong-note, squeaky gate compositions, but because it feels like the music of a rocky mountain range. It is rugged and about something challenging, seeming, in this finely detailed performance, as if it achieved only a qualified victory over the struggles of life. Mr Madaras and the BSO musicians led us on a beautifully-shaped journey which was ultimately very involving and moving.

Classical orchestral music showed its power in this set of performances. Whether tender and serene like the Vasks, exultant like the Grieg or fascinatingly compelling like the Sibelius, in the hands of such magnificent players as these, it creates worlds into which the listener can disappear to emerge refreshed and ready for anything!

Tom Wickson 

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