A muffled drum, a quiet march 鈥� and the melody for which a nation had been waiting. From first hesitant notes to heaven-storming conclusion, Elgar鈥檚 First Symphony is more than just a landmark in British music: it鈥檚 the autobiography of a creative spirit, passionate, troubled and profoundly moving. 大象传媒 Symphony Orchestra Chief Conductor Sakari Oramo has loved the music of Elgar for decades, and it鈥檚 a thrilling contrast to the playfulness and poetry of Vaughan Williams鈥檚 Tuba Concerto, played by rising international brass star Constantin Hartwig. Meanwhile, what鈥檚 a composer to do when he鈥檚 invited to the Tokyo Olympics during a global travel ban? Mark-Anthony Turnage lets his music do the globetrotting in his jazz-inspired Time Flies.

Image: Constantin Hartwig 漏 Tobias Epp