The BBC Symphony Orchestra's Aldeburgh concert had the programming genius of composer and conductor Oliver Knussen written all over it: a startling combination of music by Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky and Tippett, as well as miniatures by Knussen himself and Colin Matthews. But Knussen was unable to conduct, replaced at the last minute by Edward Gardner. It was remarkable how convincingly this young conductor, making his debut at the Aldeburgh festival, inhabited the fantastical world of the programme.

Gardner began with a suite of pieces inspired by fireworks: Stravinsky's explosive orchestral scherzo was followed by Knussen's Flourish with Fireworks. This piece began with the same motif as Stravinsky's Fireworks but burst into new patterns: a bejewelled string line, a glittering sequence of woodwind chords. The chain of influence and imagery was completed by the world premiere of Colin Matthews' Fanfare and Flourish with Fireflies, written as a tribute to Knussen. The music had a flighty, filigree energy, but was haunted by dark string melodies, as if the embers of far-off fireworks were suspended over a churning sea.

Gardner's performance of the suite from Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty had an impressive power, but he missed its charm and character. His interpretation of Tippett's Second Symphony, however, was a fitting climax. Gardner gave the piece energy. It was propelled by gruff repeated notes for the double basses and cellos, the catalyst for music that encompassed huge expressive contrasts, from the virtuosic string writing in the first and last movements to the melancholy melodies of the slow movement. The last few bars were the most surprising moments of all. After an impassioned string tune, the piece returned to the repeated notes of the opening, before the forceful resolution of the final chord. In Gardner's performance, this monumental coda clinched an invigorating symphonic journey.