BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

As Gustav Mahler contemplated his own mortality, he drew consolation and strength from the poetry of ancient China. 'Das Lied von der Erde' is the result: a symphony in all but name that distils every last drop of life’s sorrow and sweetness into six heartrending songs. Toru Takemitsu, meanwhile, looked west: charting a very personal musical path between western classical music and the philosophy and art of his native Japan to create soundscapes of unique, and haunting, beauty. Glowing autumn colours mingle with cries of longing in this wonderfully conceived programme from the BBC SSO’s hugely respected Conductor Emeritus Donald Runnicles, plus two singers whose unflinching emotional commitment has won international acclaim. Recorded in City Halls, Glasgow.

Recorded at City Halls, Glasgow, in September 2019 to open the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra's 19/20 Season. Alpesh Chauhan conducts Mahler's exhilarating Fifth Symphony, featuring his most loved musical-moment, a tender love-letter written without words; the stunning Adagietto. Movements: 1. Trauermarsch 2. Stürmisch bewegt, mit größter Vehemenz 3. Scherzo 4. Adagietto 5. Rondo finale

Set aside 30 minutes and escape the everyday with this dazzling display of virtuosity by Norwegian violinist Henning Kraggerud. This performance of Bruch's First Violin Concerto was recorded at Glasgow City Halls in September 2019, opening the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra's concert season with Associate Conductor Alpesh Chauhan.

How do artists stay creative under oppression? Dimitri Shostakovich called his Fifth Symphony a “Soviet artist’s creative response to justified criticism" after his opera was denounced by Stalin’s regime. But how much of this electrifying symphony tows the party line and how much is subversive? Decide for yourself in this performance by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Michael Sanderling

Sibelius’s one-movement Seventh Symphony is the climax of a concert that pairs the composer with fellow Finns: violin maverick Pekka Kuusisto and composer Magnus Lindberg. Expect sparks to fly in Lindberg’s First Violin Concerto, while his 'Chorale' is preceded by part of the work that inspired it, Bach’s 'Es ist genug'. Plus, conductor Joana Carneiro finds room for Beethoven’s stirring Leonore No.3 Overture, a passionate hymn to liberty that never seems to lose its relevance. Recorded in City Halls, Glasgow, as the orchestra opened their 2021/2022 season.

Live from Glasgow’s City Halls, experience the thrill and grandeur of Tchaikovsky’s his Sixth Symphony, a work saturated in emotion and packed with great tunes. But you’ll have your hankies out well before then as Scots mezzo Karen Cargill sings Korngold’s luscious Songs of Farewell. And the orchestra’s Associate Conductor Alpesh Chauhan opens the concert with a work Schoenberg took 33 years to complete, a wonderful showcase for some of our brilliant principal players. Arnold Schoenberg Chamber Symphony No.2, op. 38 Erich Wolfgang Korngold Abschiedslieder, op. 14 (Songs of Farewell) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No 6, 'Pathétique' Korngold translations © Uri Liebrecht

Mark Wigglesworth conducts the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in Sibelius's First Symphony live from City Halls, Glasgow.

Rosanne Philippens performs Ravel's ‘Tzigane’ for violin and orchestra, live from Glasgow's City Halls. Mark Wigglesworth conducts.

Vaughan Williams's soaring work for violin and orchestra 'The Lark Ascending', performed live from Glasgow’s City Halls. Rosanne Philippens is the soloist and Mark Wigglesworth conducts.

Annelien Van Wauwe performs the World Premiere of Wim Henderickx's Clarinet Concerto "Sutra" (BBC Co-Commission). Conducted by Martyn Brabbins in City Halls, Glasgow.

Martyn Brabbins conducts Debussy's 'La Mer' and 'Marche écossaise' live from City Halls in Glasgow.