London Philharmonic Orchestra: The Four Seasons

They called Alexander Glazunov 'the Russian Mendelssohn' but he was very much his own man, and his 1896 ballet The Seasons is a delight. Tuneful, joyous and glowing with colour, it's the missing link in Russian ballet between Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky – and its exuberant final Bacchanale is the kind of melody that stays with you for life. It will throw a fascinating light on Vivaldi's four evergreen concertos, played tonight by the Orchestra's Leader Pieter Schoeman. In between comes a real discovery from guest conductor Marius Stravinsky: Dmitry Kabalevsky’s enchantingly atmospheric musical portrait of spring, in the form of a waltz.