Mark Bebbington performs Chopin | Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Bringing a distinctly romantic feel to the afternoon is Smetana’s vibrant overture to his first and most enduring comic opera The Bartered Bride followed by Mark Bebbington performing Chopin’s dazzling Piano Concerto No 2. Technically taxing and richly melodic, Chopin’s masterpiece blends rippling virtuosity, Polish dance rhythms and lyricism.

One of Sibelius’s most engaging and beautiful compositions, his Symphony No 2 evokes the expansive, glacial landscape of his native Finland. From an anguished slow movement to a finale of furious passion, this piece climaxes in a flourish of exhilarating heroism.