Nottingham Classics - BBC Philharmonic

Discovering Sibelius

John Storgårds  conductor
Stephen Johnson  presenter

Grieg  Lyric Suite Listen
Sibelius  Symphony No. 4 Listen 

By common consent Sibelius's Fourth is his most enigmatic symphony that is widely regarded as his greatest achievement, although it's a far cry from the upbeat Third and heroic Fifth symphonies. Its austere musical language suggests a time of crisis for the composer and unsurprisingly its first audiences were puzzled by it.

To cast some light on this elusive masterpiece, we welcome back BBC Radio 3 regular Stephen Johnson, who'll be placing the Symphony in the context of Sibelius's life and work and exploring its soundworld with live illustrations from the BBC Philharmonic before a full performance of the symphony.

By way of relief from the darker skies of Sibelius's Fourth, John Storgårds will also be conducting Grieg's enchanting Lyric Suite.