‘Brussels Philharmonic’

The Brussels Philharmonic pays a tribute to composers from eastern Europe. Dvoøák's Carnaval, a work brimful of gaiety, energy, and poetry, contrasts with the dark cheerfulness of Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra, with its characteristic Bartók mix of folk music and contemporary compositional techniques. But the highlight will surely be Tchaikovsky's much-loved Violin Concerto, whose virtuosity never ceases to fascinate. The Ukrainian violinist Valeriy Sokolov has mastered its every nuance; as the BBC commented: "Sokolov offers an attractive combination of silk and steel, he is alive to the lyrical sweetness of the Tchaikovsky and is apparently able effortlessly to turn up the heat when required."