FRANZ Bruggen, the doyen of 18th and 19th Century music, made a welcome return to The Sage Gateshead to conduct the Northern Sinfonia.

The evening opened with Haydn's Symphony No 49 La passione, its sombre and melancholic mood conveyed with affection. In contrast, the next offering was Bartok's Divertimento for Strings.

Its irrepressible leader, Bradley Creswick, who gave a gutsy rendition of gypsy-type themes, led the string section with elan.

Bartok may be fare for the converted, but Sage audiences always enjoy Beethoven. They were treated to an inspiring rendition of his Seventh Symphony.

Bruggen, who cuts a frail figure and conducts seated at the podium, is not given to overt displays. Rather he is a steady hand at the tiller, his conducting cues confined to a deliberate setting of the beat with up and down motions of one hand.

Even so, he injected a vitality to the work from its majestic opening chord. The orchestra was led into the work with an almost utmost caution, each bar painstakingly laid out.

It soon became apparent that Bruggen had the broader picture clearly in mind. The tempos were elastic and may not have stuck religiously to the composer's metronome markings, but Bruggen's treatment of the work served to bring out its essence, heightening tensions and unleashing the energy in magnificent tub-thumping crescendos.

The second movement, opened in a barely audible hush, was one of ineffable grace. The orchestra romped through the presto, complete with boisterous banter between the woodwinds and strings. The pace of the last movement was blistering.

The audience insisted on Bruggen returning three times to be showered with applause, which was far from perfunctory. They loved every bit. Here's looking forward to another visit.