WHAT’S ON: The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra at The Sage Gateshead at 7.30pm tomorrow. Lars Vogt plays Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 4. Box office: 0191-443-4661.

REVIEWS: Shostakovich Symphony No. 8 (Naxos 8.572392) Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic give what must rank as one of the finest accounts of Shostakovich’s Symphony No 8.

The savage parody of the scherzo is magnificently pitched, while the second fast movement rages remorselessly to an earth-shattering climax. Highly recommended.

Bliss: Meditations on a Theme by John (Naxos 8.572316) Scored for a large orchestra, including an extensive percussion section, Sir Arthur Bliss’ Metamorphic Variations dates from the end of his creative life. It is a work of extremes with power and passion balanced by whimsy and delicacy in a superb rendition by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

The Sibelius Edition – Box 10 Piano Music II (BIS-CD-1927/29) Sibelius’output for the piano is extensive.

The music on this second set was written between 1905 and 1931, and includes the Three Sonatinas, widely seen as some of Sibelius’ finest piano works. Previously unreleased, all works are performed by Folki Grasbeck.