Gurrelieder by Arnold Schoenberg is a massive work. It has about 150 instrumentalists and 200 singers including 5 soloists, 3 four-part men’s choruses, and an eight-part mixed chorus and tells the story of Waldemar and Tove, and their doomed love. But what it also shows us, is the development of Schoenberg’s music; from when he began writing it in 1900 to its conclusion in 1910.

Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 5 was written in 1888 when the composer was 48. Although he was at the height of his creative powers, he doubted himself continuously while writing it. Today it is considered one of the great works of the orchestral repertoire.

Greig wrote this Piano Concerto in 1868 when he was 25. It is the only piano concerto he wrote. The work was an instant success and many expected Grieg to replicate it with a second piano concerto, he never did. The driving, anthemic outer movements, sandwiched either side of the most beautiful Adagio, combine to create a stunning work that’s hard to beat – a fact the composer was arguably shrewd enough to realise.

Sibelius lived at a very interesting time in history, musically as well as historically. In his long 91 years, from 1865-1957 he experienced 2 world wars and the world’s changing social structure. But as a musician, he experienced firsthand the progression from late Romanticism to the early modern periods.

Shostakovich considered writing a trumpet concerto for the Leningrad Philharmonic trumpeter Alexander Schmidt but found the technical challenges daunting. He added a piano to create a double concerto but eventually the piano took precedence, with the trumpet playing a prominent but secondary role. This concerto is the musical equivalent of a smirking jokester. It is a rule-breaking, Neo-baroque romp filled with sardonic humour, parody, and fleeting musical quotes.

Bruckner was an enigmatic figure, a simple man and devote Catholic who wrote music which was in no way simple. He was 40 before tackling his first symphony and was 64 when he started his 8th, the last completed symphony. Finished in 1887 he revised it in 1890 but many other editions were made throughout the 20th century.