Colourful Classics | Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Opening this concert will be Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture, which conjures the sights and sounds of Scottish scenery, from calm still waters to intense and dramatic storms. Elgar’s regal and mournful Elegy for strings sets the scene for the tranquil, quiet opening of Tchaikovsky’s sublime Violin Concerto. With its unrelenting energy and use of Russian peasant dance rhythms, this stunning piece is notably one of the most difficult violin concertos in the repertoire.

Closing the concert is Beethoven’s stirring Symphony No 7, which combines a wonderful blend of orchestral gravitas and swelling tunes used to great effect in the film The King’s Speech.