This concert was to have included Dvořák’s Violin Concerto in A minor, but sadly the soloist Baiba Skride was indisposed. This was a disappointment – she is a truly wonderful violinist, and I was very much looking forward to hearing her. However, Eivind Aadland and the TSO rose to the occasion magnificently, presenting us with a celebration of Russian Romanticism that seemed so complete in itself that all disappointment was forgotten.

Eivind Aadland with the TSO. Photo supplied

Maestro Aadland, the TSO’s Principal Conductor, has a magical way with his musicians. He conducted both works without the music, and although he still stood on a podium, it seemed as if he were in amongst his musicians, gently making suggestions and allowing each individual to flourish. Watching him, it was as if he were playing chamber music with his orchestra, such was the intimacy between them.

Glinka’s Ruslan and Ludmila Overture has a joyous, champagne feeling about it, which the TSO captured beautifully. The opening, virtuosic flourish of very fast unison strings set the scene for a performance that was lively, energetic and beautifully shaped. Of particular note was the phrasing of...