Shostakovich called his Fifth Symphony ‘a Soviet artist’s creative response to justified criticism’. Well, that was the official line. Like everything in Stalin’s Russia, the reality was a bit more complicated and the music a lot more gripping. Conductor Thomas Søndergård brings all his trademark energy to a symphony that defined the 20th century – music that really was a matter of life and death. It’s the ideal companion piece for the atmospheric Violin Concerto by Andrzej Panufnik, the post-war Polish master who found refuge in the UK, and the rich Nordic colours of Sibelius’s rarely performed evocation of a doomed romance, far away and long ago. Please note: the value of the seat allocated will be between £19-£46. Being reseated into higher priced seats is not a guarantee, and will be done at the box office’s discretion subject to availability on the night.