From its tempestuous opening bars, Brahms’s First Piano Concerto throws a gauntlet down to all-comers. It’s a monumental, powerhouse of a work, so we’re thrilled that the astonishing Alexander Melnikov joins us as tonight’s soloist. Our Nielsen symphony cycle continues, too, with the composer’s ‘Simple Symphony’ which, despite the sunny outlook of its opening, has dark moments and unexpected twists on the horizon.