Two symphonic masterpieces, including Sibelius' musical 'testament', accompany Joshua Bell's radiant bowing in the Dvořák Concerto.

Dvořák’s sole violin concerto, a haven of peace composed in 1879, reflects the strong influence of folk music in a lively expression of nostalgic laments. It is a piece of stunning limpidity, and a master work in melodic expressiveness and orchestral finesse. 

Less often performed than the ample Seventh and the mythical Ninth, Symphony No. 8 manifests a smiling ease and an optimistic mood, right down to the leaps of the Allegretto and the refined rusticity of the Minuetto, which recall the spirit of Mozart and Haydn. Sibelius's final Symphony contrasts this Apollonian serenity with a form of solemn, initiatory ritual, so much so that it has been called the Finnish Parsifal. Based on a matrix theme in the trombones, it unfolds like a marmoreal arch, summoning the listener into its sonic mysticism.