This penultimate night of the 2014 Welsh Proms saw the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra arrive in Cardiff.

The inimitable Owain Arwel Hughes conducted this wonderful concert by the award-winning orchestra, featuring a varied programme of dramatic pieces by Russian composers.

An almost-full auditorium heard the evening begin with Glinka’s lively Overture, Russian and Ludmilla, followed by Mussorgsky’s slower and tranquil A Night on the Bare Mountain.

Music from Rachmaninov’s Vocalise came next, and then Borodin’s Polovtsiann Dances completed a very entertaining first half.

But the highlight of the evening came after the interval when the orchestra launched into Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 5, written in 1888 following the death of the composer’s close friend.

He introduces, in each of the symphony’s movements, a short theme on fate – and in the first movement this theme signifying the ‘hollowness of existence’ is superbly played by two clarinetists. The movement also features some very powerful percussion.

The second, slower movement, included an excellent solo by the horn player while the strings played very tenderly and emotionally throughout.

By the stirring climax of the fourth and final movement, many of the audience were on their feet in appreciation of this orchestra’s fine musicianship, and were looking forward to welcoming them back for the traditional Last Night of the Proms the following evening.