London Philharmonic Orchestra, Matthew Trusler (violin), Timothy Redmond (conductor)

Gloomy April showers were completely dispelled by a bright, full-blooded performance of Berlioz’s ‘Roman Carnival Overture’. It warmed us up nicely for Saint-Saëns’ third Violin Concerto (Sarasate), the heart of this programme. The first movement could have been a stand-alone concert in itself. Matthew Trusler brilliantly exploited the full dynamic range of his Stradivarius, spreading the romantic heat of mid-summer into the full auditorium.

Part two began more calmly with Ravel’s stately ‘Le tombeau de Couperin’, which led us gently into Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony. Without a baton, as if wafting perfume, Timothy Redmond conducted most elegantly and with great precision.

Congress Theatre, Eastbourne, 27 April 2014

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