Musical Painting, Impressions & Intrigue - Wales Millennium Centre / Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru

Exploring the principles of Cadavre exquis - that of writing a line on a piece of paper, folding it down and passing it on to the next person to add theirs - Alders Hillborg takes quotes from other composers and moulds them together in his chaotic yet intriguingly beautiful music collage, Exquisite Corpse, before the esteemed Alban Gerhardt returns to BBC NOW by popular demand to perform the world premiere of Augusta Read Thomas’ Cello Concerto.

With its inspiration taken from the runes of the Kalevala, Sibelius’ Lemminkäinen Suite is drenched in Finnish adventure. Originally conceived as a mythological opera, the resulting symphonic poems are nothing short of entrancing. Magically evocative, the mysterious and darkly brooding opening makes way for joyous folk dance, explosive climaxes and shimmering excitement along the way, not forgetting the haunting melody of the sacred Swan of Tuonela floating through the realm of the dead, exquisitely voiced by a solo cor anglais.