THE Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s eagerly anticipated return to Sage Gateshead featured the second outing in the UK of Philip Glass’ sumptuous new Symphony No 11.

Premiered in New York for the composer’s 80th birthday, the work can be said to distil the best qualities of the American's prodigious output.

The first movement opened with a steady marching pulse on a piano before it was joined by deep brass playing and swirling strings; soon immersing the audience in a soundworld of repeating triads and cycling rhythms. Conductor Vasily Petrenko laid out the constantly shifting and transforming layers with impeccable care, building up a sense of urgency and driving momentum. Brilliant notes of the xylophone cut through the maelstrom with ringing clarity as the movement erupted in a heady and joyous fanfare.

Calms was restored with a reflective slow movement, delivered on shimmering strings and harp. A battery of percussion instruments drove final movement to a heady climax.

In a note to listeners Glass suggests: "Perhaps the best way - as with other recent works of mine - is to just go with the music, paying attention as well as you can.” Traditionalists and contemporary music devotees alike were spellbound throughout.

The second half of the evening was devoted to Rachmaninov’s weighty, Symphony No 2. The composer's symphonies may not be to everyone's taste, but any reservations were swept aside by Petrenko's insightful treatment, which conveyed the broad sweep of the work, while teasing out the smallest of detail.

The first movement, with its rich lyrical melodies radiating through the melancholy, was exquisite. The slow movement with its song of yearning was played with supreme sensitivity. The whole was brought to a breathtaking climax.

Gavin Engelbrecht