Mendelssohn and Sibelius

Programme

Celebrate the warmth of spring as we close our Bedford season with the beautiful melodies of Mendelssohn’s life-affirming Violin Concerto paired with Sibelius’s best-loved symphony.

Appearing centre-stage is violinist Randall Goosby, whose meteoric career launched as a protege of violin legend Itzhak Perlman. Having taken the world by storm ever since, he makes his Bedford debut with Mendelssohn’s stunning Violin Concerto. Filled with stormy emotion, unforgettable melodies and electrifying virtuosity, Mendelssohn’s masterly work delights wherever it is performed.

Completing the programme is Sibelius’s Second Symphony. While the first notes came to him during a happy period spent in Italy, the piece is filled with the unmistakeable sound of Sibelius’s Finnish homeland. Lush, flowing melodies in the strings balance against soulful solo moments for each instrument of the woodwind section, evoking green forests and icy landscapes. While the second movement sees a cold, austere walking bass line underpin a melancholy mood, the music gradually builds in energy as it launches into a feverishly intense third movement. But finishing the concert – and our entire season in our Bedford residency – a towering brass finale provides a majestic send-off.