Sibelius Symphony No. 2

After writing two light but entertaining violin concertos, Saint-Saëns upped his game in 1880. In his Violin Concerto No. 3, he delivered a deliciously scored masterpiece characterised by its brilliant solo part, building intensity, room-stilling slow movement and finale inspired by the music of the country it was written in: Spain. Alexandra Conunova plays perhaps the greatest French violin concerto in between music that finds hope from grief: Ravel’s etched memorials to fallen comrades and the symphony in which Sibelius wrestles the most inspiring optimism from music born of tragedy.