Although for a long time it seemed that Jean Sibelius would make a career as a violin virtuoso, he ultimately made his name as a composer. The fact that this was the right choice is evident from his one and only Violin Concerto, a masterpiece. The work, with its Northern temperament, has won its rightful place in the concert hall. Camille Saint-Saëns was also a much loved soloist, in his case on the piano, and was popular above all in the UK. It was thus an English orchestra that commissioned him to write his Third Symphony, which was given its première in London with Saint-Saëns himself conducting. The work was dedicated to his good friend Franz Liszt, who had just died: the thematic lines that develop with much flair throughout the work are marked by the master’s hand.

Introduction with Kristien Van den Buys and Oliver Condy at 19:30.

Flagey, Brussels Philharmonic, Jeugd en Muziek Brussel