Brahms' Symphony No. 2

A dance of sound and sensitivity, Hosokawa’s Sakura opens with delicate lines where every detail counts. Cellist Daniel Müller-Schott then takes centre stage in Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1, a single-movement work that begins without prelude – virtuosic, warm and irresistible. Fauré’s Elegy and Brahms' Pastorale complete the evening with French transparency and symphonic warmth.

The common thread running through tonight's programme is transformation. Sakura , the Japanese word for cherry blossom, sees Hosokawa conjure sound from silence, with his characteristic sensitivity to natural resonance. Saint-Saëns’ concerto unfolds in a fluid, cyclical form, with themes constantly returning in new guises. After the restrained intensity of Fauré’s Élégie, Brahms’s masterful Symphony No. 2 expands the evening's musical range: softly luminous, clearly structured and rich in melody.