Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony

Two wartime symphonies bookend a dazzling early work for solo cello and orchestra.

The Orchestra of Opera North opens its 2026/27 season with two symphonies composed in the turbulent early years of the 20th century, offering – in two very different shades – a remarkable snapshot of a pivotal point in human history.

In his Sixth Symphony, Sibelius retreats from the bloody conflict that followed Finnish independence, finding peace in autumnal recollections and nature-inspired reverie. The expansive opening passage bristles like spruce trees in the Nordic breeze. The mood of the piece reminded Sibelius of “the scent of the first snow.”

Premiered on the eve of Allied victory in Europe, Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony hums with the mechanistic momentum of the Soviet war machine. It features some of the most remarkable orchestral writing of the 20th century – a glittering foil to Prokofiev’s naturally biting style – as well as some of the most darkly lyrical music he ever wrote. But is the triumphant finale a patriotic hymn – or does it conceal some inner turmoil or unspeakable terror? In contrast to Sibelius’ Sixth, this symphony feels as if it is hewn from the factory floor rather than from nature.

The light-hearted centre of the programme sees Guy Johnston as soloist in Tchaikovsky’s spirited ‘Rococo’ Variations. Inspired by a concert given in 1875 by the so-called ‘tsar’ of cellists Karl Davydov, Tchaikovsky makes play with an ornate, ‘rococo’-style theme in this nostalgic vision of a lost era.

Part of the Kirklees Concert Season 2026–27

Programme

Sibelius - Symphony No. 6
Tchaikovsky - Variations on a Rococo Theme
Prokofiev - Symphony No. 5