Manze clearly understands the music and brought some highly commendable characteristics to many of the parts in the middle of the textures. Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony has a personality all of its own - distinctive, articulate, controlled and unique. Manze was on very safe territory, making the most of the Haydnesque humour across all four jovial movements. It’s folk-like melody proved an ear worm and contrasted well with the atonality of Hillborg's concerto. Hillborg was in attendance and was extremely well received by the Liverpool audience.Īfter the interval came Wirén’s Serenade for Strings, a pleasing work, with echoes of early 20th-century English string music. Power’s technical assurance was impressive, as was his unflagging endurance. Often quite brisk, this intense work had some slower more relaxed moments, the quieter passages bringing contrast and spirituality. Opening with an extended, vivacious, highly virtuosic solo, the work grew organically, exploring the range of sounds and textures from the body of strings. At around 18 minutes, in eight sections, scored for strings and winds - including soprano saxophone, trumpets and piano – this work is an ideal length, harmonically complex and very approachable. Written for viola player Lawrence Power, this texturally complex work was captivating. In a co-commission with a number of trusts and orchestras, Hillborg’s single-movement concerto proved to be the highlight of the evening. New viola concertos don’t appear all that often. While beautifully played, it sat quite uncomfortably against the other Scandinavian works forming the rest of the programme. Despite the wonderfully crafted orchestral playing, Manze’s control was a little too tight, sadly lacking in ravishing ecstasy. The strings had warmth and radiance, but lacked the luscious velvet sonorities to be embracing and seductive enough. The overall emotions were very much muted, peaks not quite hitting the heights of passion and the more gentle moments lacking sensuality. Raising the curtain with Don Juan, the raspy brass of the RLPO in the opening of Strauss' passionate tone poem showed great potential, but as the work progressed, those fiery passions never fully ignited.