Life out of death

Fourteen trumpets line up across the stage: Janáček’s Sinfonietta might have started as a colourful portrait of his hometown of Brno, but it goes out in a blaze of raw, untamed glory. No recording can ever do it justice – you need to feel the air shake as Janáček’s huge orchestra gives a resounding shout of triumph. But the 20th century had darker things in store for Czech composers. Tonight, Vladimir Jurowski enlists one of the world’s great string quartets to tell two musical stories of exile, renewal and defiance in the face of unthinkable crimes. Music to stir body and soul.