The words of Kurt Vonnegut blasted American composer Andrew Norman out of his creative block: an explosive opening to a concert that celebrates Stravinsky at his most witty, and Sakari Oramo鈥檚 very personal angle on the woodland magic and Arctic gales of Sibelius鈥檚 youthful First Symphony.

It鈥檚 high-octane stuff; but Oramo has been exploring Sibelius for his whole life, and he knows that the First Symphony 鈥� with its raging storms and shimmering,鈥痑urora borealis鈥痗olours - is about as Romantic as this great Finnish symphonist gets. The superb Norwegian violinist Vilde Frang makes a very welcome return as soloist in a concerto that Stravinsky (ever the joker) designed to be unplayable. Believe us: that won鈥檛 stop her鈥�