Live, Video: Kritiken zu klassischen Konzerten, Opern, Ballett und Tanz finden | Three pieces in the old style, for string orchestra

The complex world of Górecki, Bacewicz and Cytż is contrasted with Dvořák and Chopin as The Scottish Ensemble embarked upon an Eastern European journey with guest director Bartosz Woroch.

Nesterowicz and the NSO deliver a stunning Shostakovich Symphony 10 while Vähälä captivates with the magical delights of Vasks' Distant Lights.

A very striking wild-eyed hirsute man has been staring out at us across Scotland on posters for this concert tour, showing that the Scottish Ensemble has adapted well to the modern world of promotion, using titles, straplines and imagination. On the face of things, the choice of eight seemingly very disconnected pieces in the programme, from 1700 to the present day, was disconcerting.

This concert by Poland’s national orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic, attracted a near-capacity audience which had in it a fair sprinkling of members of the local Polish community, judging from overheard conversations and some shouts of “Jeszcze raz!” (“More!”) at the end.

On Tuesday night at Cadogan Hall near Sloane Square the audience was treated to an expertly mastered programme of 20th century Polish music by Górecki, Lutoslawski and Szymanovski as well as the Overture, St. Francis of Assisi by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. The latter had its London premiere that night.