Finnish composer Jean Sibelius once harboured ambitions to be a professional violinist, and his technical understanding of the instrument shines through in the Violin Concerto that combines outward show with a deep sense of mystery. There’s an expressive urgency to James Ehnes playing in the opening movement’s atmospheric introduction, combined, in the more lyrical moments, with a beautiful fragility. Edward Gardner proves a worthy partner to Ehnes’ superlative playing, driving forward with pace the darker orchestral undercurrents. The orchestra’s strings and brass lay a lush bed for the second movement “Adagio”, Ehnes sustaining a near-operatic immediacy from its sustained melody. In the galloping, lumbering finale, his pyrotechnic flights burn brightly against the orchestra's subtler spots of woodwind colour. While Sibelius did not compose a second concerto, he nonetheless wrote for violin and orchestra on a smaller scale. There is playfulness and lyricism in two sets of Humoresques, while the 2 Pieces inhabit a more spiritual mood. The elegant Serenades sit alongside a short but tantalising Suite from 1929—one of the very last works the Finn completed before his 30 year period of compositional silence. Inside the Album Booklet An excellent programme note by Sibelius scholar and biographer Daniel M. Grimley offers substantial information on each work featured on the album. Plus, there’s a less familiar photo of the composer seated at his desk, working on a score, from 1915. Album booklets are available in the latest version of Apple Music Classical, which you can download and enjoy as part of your Apple Music subscription. To access booklets, tap on the book icon at the top of your screen.