Page 742 - Liverpool Philharmonic 22-23 Season Coverage Book

Sibelius: Violin Concerto

Sibelius' 1904 concerto is one of the most unashamedly Romantic in the repertoire.
Each of the three movements is bewitching in its own way.

The opening movement features a long-breathed, haunting melody, faintly Slavic in
flavour, with certain passages that reach a rhapsodic intensity. There's then a rather
becalmed, reflective Adagio, before a terrifically exciting finale that has been
compared to the sound of polar bears dancing on the snow.

Initially slow to gain recognition, Sibelius' composition is now recognised as one of
the very finest violin concertos ever written. A good performance can transport you
effortlessly to the snowy wastes of northern Finland.

Recommended recording: Lisa Batiashvili (violin), Staatskapelle Berlin / Daniel
Barenboim (Deutsche Grammophon). Read our review here.