Paavo Järvi conducts Bruch and Sibelius

Paavo Järvi, one of today’s great musical communicators, conducts three favourites of the orchestral repertoire, perfect for a Sunday afternoon.   

“Beauty is everywhere around, you just have to see it, and to share it with others”, says violinist Alena Baeva. Renowned for the sense of ease and joy she creates on stage, Baeva makes her Philharmonia debut sharing the beauty of Bruch’s soulful Violin Concerto. A perennial presence in Classic FM’s Hall of Fame, it’s the perfect showcase for her ‘sweetness of tone… elegance and power’ (The Strad). 

Sibelius’s Fifth Symphony would also make it into many listeners’ top ten. It begins with a whisper from horns and timpani, which spreads through the woodwind section in a glorious evocation of sunrise. The second movement is a set of variations on a simple, wistful theme. Then comes the moment Sibelius fans have been waiting for – the magnificent ‘swan’ theme of the finale, with its jubilant horn chords and sweeping strings. Sibelius wrote it after witnessing the awe-inspiring sight of sixteen swans in flight: ‘One of the great experiences of my life! God, how beautiful,’ he wrote in his diary.