The Romantic Symphony, The Northern Sinfonia, The Sage Gateshead

The Northern Sinfonia under the baton of Thomas Zehetmair last night opened its new season at The Sage Gateshead with the first instalment of The Romantic Symphony.

The series will take in the symphonic journey of Brahms and Schumann, whose lives and music were inextricably linked. While Schumann raved about Brahms, he in turn venerated tjhe older man.

Schumann’s Symphony 1 in B flat The Spring was sketched out in four days, but he agonised over the trumpets' first phrase. The sinfonia’s brass section blasted it out like a fresh breeze, with Zehetmair going on to direct a thrilling first movement, finely gauging its dynamic ebb and flow.

The serene slow movement was played with affection and flowed seamlessly flowed into a romping scherzo. Zehetmair kept ratcheting up the tension, with the sinfonia nimbly negotiating the tight twists and turns of the score, before roaring down the home straight.

Brahms’ Symphony No 1 in C minor was 20 years in gestation and is held up as one of the greatest works in the classical form.

Indeed, maestro of the day Hans van Bulow remarked it was Beethoven’s Tenth.

It is a work conventionally played by larger orchestral forces. But as Zehetmair said in a pre-concert talk, “size makes no difference, what matters is substance”. And the sinfonia had plenty of that, generating an awesome sonic depth.

In the first movement one had the sensation of giant waves building up and washing through the hall, with wonderful tones produced by oboist Adrian Wilson in his solo. A highlight was the violin solo from Bradley Creswick, rounding off an eloquent slow movement.

Flautist Juliette Bausor was in top form, while there were lovely exchanges between clarinettist Jessica Lee and the horns. Zehetmair drove the whole to a heady climax.

The evening ended on sober note, with a touching tribute paid to Northern Sinfonia founder Michael Hall, who died recently.

The sinfonia performed the second movement of Mozart’s Prague - the first work he conducted with "The Sinfonia Orchestra" in September 1958.

For those unable to attend the concert was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and can be heard on iPlayer for several more days.

 The Northern Sinfonia will perform chamber music of Schumann and Brahms at The Sage Gateshead at 8pm tonight. Box office: 0191-443 4661.