Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra: Divine Moments

Both Sibelius’ symphony and Dvořák’s concerto were troublesome to write, and both works saw a number of revisions. Sibelius was going through a difficult time in his life, despite his success and popularity, when he wrote the Fifth Symphony. However he created one of the really great late-Romantic symphonies displaying his ability to gather the mysterious world around him. The gorgeous opening sunrise is best described by Sibelius himself. "God opens His door for a moment and His orchestra plays.” This was no boast! Dvořák's concerto is a highly lyrical and rich work, even by his standards. Infused with divinely inspired melodies brought together using Dvořák’s unique harmonic style, it encompasses an entire spectrum of rich colours and reaches stunning technical heights. More unforgettable moments are found in Sibelius’ hauntingly desolate tone poem and Dvořák’s dazzling Symphonic Variations.