Philharmonia Orchestra: Santtu Conducts Beethoven and Sibelius

Santtu-Matias Rouvali conductor
Steven Osborne piano

NIELSEN Overture, Helios
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5, Emperor
SIBELIUS Symphony No. 5

Beethoven didn’t think up the Emperor nickname for his concerto himself, but it’s easy to understand when you hear its majestic opening. Tonight it’s in the hands of Steven Osborne, a musician "in the top tier of pianists worldwide" (The Telegraph). 

Sibelius’s Symphony No. 5 starts with a whisper from horns and timpani that grows into a glorious evocation of sunrise.

In the finale comes the moment Sibelius fans have been waiting for – the magnificent swan theme, with its jubilant horn chords and sweeping strings. Sibelius wrote it after witnessing 16 swans in flight: "One of the great experiences of my life! God, how beautiful," he wrote in his diary.