Sibelius Symphonies Nos 6 and 7

Sibelius likened his own music to ‘the purest spring water’, a challenge to the rich cocktails ‘of every hue and description’ purveyed by his contemporaries. The result was an unmistakable voice, one that is full of shimmering strings, shifting textures and the sounds of birdsong, conjuring up the elemental forces of nature and the legends of Finnish folklore.

Michael Tilson Thomas conducts three works with the LSO that show different dimensions of Sibelius’ distinctive voice, from the brooding intensity of the Violin Concerto to the experimentation of the Seventh Symphony, written in a single, surging sweep of music.

Change of Soloist

Janine Jansen is indisposed due to health reasons, and is no longer able to appear in the LSO’s concert at the Barbican Centre on Thursday 17 May. The LSO is very grateful to violinist Ray Chen, who has agreed to step in at short notice as the soloist for Sibelius’ Violin Concerto.