Guide to Romantic Music

Edward Gardner’s Pittsburgh Symphony debut brings freshness and intensity to Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, alongside a sparkling tribute to Michael Tilson Thomas.

Nightfall in Sheffield General Cemetery provides the perfect atmospheric backdrop for Ensemble 360’s exploration of chamber music by Mozart, Weber and Korngold.

Riccardo Chailly’s final new production as artistic director is a celebration of Verdi and of a conductor whose relationship with the Milanese audience has clearly deepened over the years.

Nicola Benedetti’s Elgar is a slow burn in Edinburgh’s Usher Hall, but Kirill Karabits’ Firebird instantly ignites.

In Helsinki, Antony McDonald pairs Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta with a staged version of Sibelius’ tone poem Luonnotar, brilliantly voiced by soprano Silja Aalto.