Bruckner’s Symphony No 7

Throughout the week, Elizabeth Alker introduces an afternoon of compelling performances from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in their 90th anniversary year and shines a spotlight on violin concertos of the Romantic era. There’s also chamber music from Sweden, from the Swedish Radio Choir and highlights from the 2025 Change Music Festival.

On today’s Classical Live we’ll hear Arabella Steinbacher and the KBS Symphony Orchestra, with Pietari Inkinen performing the most romantic of the Romantic violin concertos – Bruch’s First.

The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra with Ryan Wigglesworth perform Bruckner’s monumental Seventh Symphony; and under the baton of Elim Chan.

Today’s Swedish Chamber festival recording is a string quartet by the Polish composer and violinist Grażyna Bacewicz; and, after having heard Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony yesterday, Elizabeth has located Alexander Gadjiev’s performance of Beethoven’s 15 Variations and a Fugue on a Theme from Prometheus (Eroica Variations).

Max Bruch
Violin Concerto No 1 in G minor, Op. 26
Arabella Steinbacher (violin)
KBS Symphony Orchestra
Pietari Inkinen (conductor)

Ludwig van Beethoven
15 Variations and a Fugue on a Theme from Prometheus in E-flat, Op. 35 (Eroica Variations)
Alexander Gadjiev (piano)

Anton Bruckner
Symphony No. 7 in E major
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Ryan Wigglesworth (conductor)

Grażyna Bacewicz
String Quartet No. 4
Malin Broman (violin)
Annabelle Meare (violin)
Lawrence Power (viola)
Jesper Svedberg (cello)

To listen to this programme (using most smart speakers) just say 'Ask BBC Sounds to play Classical Live'.