Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra, Stephen Bell (conductor), Gareth Small (trumpet)

Plaintive oboe playing from Alun Darbyshire softly opened the afternoon in an emotional timbre, culminating in a rousing overture for Glinka’s ‘A Life for the Tsar’. Mussorgsky’s ‘Night on a Bare Mountain’ was a thrilling, rushing torrent, whereas Gareth Small’s evocative and melancholic trumpet playing – particularly in the muted section – was a delight. Both he and the orchestra hit the apposite piercing, striking moments of the piece with panache. Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 was rendered flashy and frenetic by conductor Stephen Bell, who created a tightly woven but gloriously opulent soundworld. The BPO are in fine fettle.

Brighton Dome Concert Hall, 4 March 2018

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