This February and March, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra has thrown itself into the music of Brahms. From trio to piano concerto, symphony to quartet, it’s all part of the TSO’s Brahmsiana Festival and has been filling various venues across Hobart with a celebration of this composer.

Eivind Aadland and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. Photo © Alastair Bett

I attended the Brahmsiana Symphony No 3 / No 4 event, which took place in the Federation Concert Hall. I was in the mood to hear Brahms’s works, having previously had a chat with some musicians about their appreciation of his chamber music in particular. While their care for the work could also be heard in the symphonies of this Friday night affair, it mainly shone through in the second half – but we’ll get to that soon.

One might find the prospect of back-to-back symphonies to be weighty and perhaps even tiring. But in fact, it’s a far lighter experience than might be expected. As audience members, we knew exactly what we were in for – we could prime our ears for nothing but Brahms, and could also take a rare opportunity to directly compare...