Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Symphony no. 4 in A minor, Op.63

Jukka-Pekka Saraste’s Pittsburgh program makes a strong impression in coloristic works from the early 20th century, while pianist Tom Borrow has a memorable debut.

Gift-bearing Ukrainians offer up warmth, joy and passion at Cadogan Hall.  

Bleak landscapes in the Fourth Symphony as the Oslo Philharmonic’s Sibelius cycle continues at the Wiener Konzerthaus.

The ever-spry Blomstedt offers powerful, no-nonsense readings of a pair of contrasting symphonies. 

In this second of Oramo's farewell concerts, the RSPO play Sibelius' Third and Fourth Symphonies; Anu Komsi sings a compelling Luonnotar.

Although filled with beauty and sweetly played, the fragmentation of the symphony felt too disruptive.

Christiane Karg is the resplendent soprano in a wonderful performance of Mahler's Fourth at the Konzerthaus.

Vasily Petrenko and the RLPO gave a deeply moving performance of Sibelius's Fourth Symphony, following exquisite Peer Gynt and a stylish Beethoven Third Piano Concerto with Beatrice Rana.

Sakari Oramo led an inspired BBC Symphony Orchestra in cultured performances of Sibelius, while Lisa Batiashvili produced a monumental UK première of Anders Hillborg’s evocative Violin Concerto No.2.

This central instalment in Osmo Vänskä’s Sibelius cycle with the London Philharmonic Orchestra fully endorsed his credentials as perhaps the world's greatest Sibelian.

Deutsche Oper Berlin present an eclectic concert in celebration of the life and career of composer Aribert Reimann.

The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra tackle two elusive Sibelius symphonies and a new work by Michael Finnissy in a packed programme at the Proms.

A valiant attempt by Hong Kong Sinfonietta at Sibelius' demanding Fourth Symphony.

The Berlin Philharmoniker under Sir Simon Rattle embodied engagement with the music of two contrasting Sibelius symphonies, and were joined by Leonadis Kavakos for the same composer's shimmering Violin Concerto.

A sparkling new work from John McLeod throws light on the celebration of 150 years of Sibelius and Nielsen.

A fine new edition of Mozart's Requiem recieves its UK première, overshadowed by a trenchant Sibelius Fourth from Opera North under Jac van Steen.

The second instalment in the BBC Philharmonic’s Sibelius cycle saw the mighty Second Symphony paired with the darker Fourth at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall. Both received superb performances.The Fourth is perhaps the hardest to enjoy of Sibelius’ seven symphonies. It lacks the obvious heroism of the First, Second, Fifth and Seventh and ends bleakly.

It was, truly, music from another world. Opening the concert with György Ligeti's 1961 Atmosphères, the Berliner Philharmoniker started with the gentlest of wafting string tones with clustered woodwind sounding almost organ-like, whereupon layer after layer piled in, an infinite variety of orchestral textures shifting and swirling.

Composed in under a month in 1945 against the backdrop of a burning, war-torn Dresden, Strauss’ Metamorphosen provided the perfect opening to a concert which explored themes of desolation and mourning. Commissioned by Swiss conductor Paul Sacher, Metamorphosen is a composition for 23 strings, inspired by Goethe’s poem ‘Niemand wird sich Selber kennen’ (‘No one can know himself’).

‘Intimate symphonic playing’: an oxymoron perhaps, but in the fantastic acoustic of Symphony Hall and with the polished playing of the CBSO, somehow these symphonies, even with the tooting trumpets, blaring bassoons and sonorous strings (not to mention the tonking timpani), had the feel of chamber music.

The second instalment in The Hallé Beethoven cycle was led by Principal Guest Conductor Marcus Stenz, and also featured the striking Nordic colours of Jean Sibelius and Magnus Lindberg.Sibelius’ Symphony No.

Le chef finlandais se révèle un guide exaltant dans sa fascinante intégrale des symphonies de son compatriote, nous obligeant à oublier toutes nos habitudes d’écoute et nos références discographiques.

Auf Einladung von Migros-Kulturprozent-Classics präsentierte das britische Top-Orchester unter seinem Chefdirigenten Sakari Oramo in drei Schweizer Städten sämtliche sieben Symphonien von Jean Sibelius.

El Festival de Santander recibe a la Chamber Orchestra of Europe y a Daniel Harding, con un programa de intensidad narrativa que dio como resultado una velada musical magnífica.

Herbert Blomstedt dirigiert Sibelius' Vierte Symphonie; ein Werk, auf das man sich emotional einstellen muss, um nicht von ihrer Düsternis hinfort gerissen zu werden.

Véritable monument des concerti pour violons, celui de Tchaïkovski est l'un des plus populaires. Cependant ce soir à la Philharmonie, l'orchestre de Paris dirigé par Paavo Järvi jouait aussi des œuvres moins connues : le Concerto pour clarinette de Nielsen, ainsi que l'étonnante Symphonie n°4 de Sibélius.