Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda, the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) delivers a powerful evening of music that moves from bright celebration to deep emotional and historical drama.

The concert begins with Shostakovich’s Festive Overture (1954): a short, joyful piece bursting with energy. The LSO play it with clarity and enthusiasm, capturing its fast pace and lively spirit. It’s a perfect opener, instantly warming up the audience and setting a celebratory tone.

The mood shifts with the London premiere of James MacMillan’s Violin Concerto No. 2 (2021), written for violinist Nicola Benedetti. The piece is layered and complex, sometimes harsh and sometimes tender. Benedetti gives a deeply focused performance, managing the difficult passages with ease, while drawing out the emotional depth of the music. The orchestra matches her intensity, building moments of tension, and then letting them dissolve into quiet reflection. The ending is especially moving: dispelling the darkness and concluding with serenity.

After the interval comes Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 12 (1961), titled The Year 1917. Inspired by the Russian Revolution, the music is full of momentum, heavy brass, and sudden shifts in tone. Noseda keeps a tight grip on the structure, allowing the dramatic arcs to come through clearly. The orchestra moves confidently through its four connected movements: from the slow, brooding opening to a bold, triumphant finale.

The concert is a strong reminder of how live orchestral music can stir, surprise, and connect — even across different eras and styles. Moving without being too grand, and totally absorbing from beginning to end.

Reviewed at the Barbican Hall on Thursday, 3 April, 2025.