Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Violin

The CBSO’s Birmingham’s Town Hall matinee sets forth a curious mix of Baroque, Classical, and modern music, sandwiching a lesser-known concerto between some familiar tunes.

The Spanish violinist delivers a radiant rendition of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto after which Honeck interprets his own distillation of music from Strauss’ Elektra.

The Celtic Connections festival showcases Górecki’s Sorrowful Songs, the BBC Scottish with soprano Francesca Chiejina conducted by Pawel Kapula with a thoughtful introductory song set from Alice Zawadzki.

A last-minute programme change doubles Batiashvili’s Tchaikovsky at the Elbphilharmonie, but repetition is transformed into fresh revelation. 

Ensemble 360’s opening concert of their Sheffield spring season reveals the rich variety present in three very different Mozart quintets.

Amid snowbound Hamburg, Joshua Bell leads the Academy of St Martin in the Fields with warmth and lyricism, though Brahms’ concerto reveals limits, while Schumann’s symphony fully blossoms.

An extraordinary group of musicians join violinist Maxim Vengerov in performing two chamber music jewels by Johannes Brahms.

Renaud Capuçon adds a degree of theatricality to his Mozart with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. 

Ensemble Masques brings French Baroque to life at the Elbphilharmonie, with Olivier Fortin’s radiant harpsichord, spirited strings and vivid interplay revealing the expressive richness of Couperin, Rameau, Forqueray and Corrette.

Martyn Brabbins conducts MacMillan’s Confession of Isobel Gowdie, BBCSSO founder Ian Whyte’s forgotten Violin Concerto with Stephanie Gonley, and a memorable Rachmaninov 2.

Is there a difference between music composed for films and music used in films? Can the former have a life beyond film? The Piatti Quartet looks for answers.