If there’s one word to sum up the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra’s Usher Hall concert, it’s probably got to be big. At well over two hours in length, it was a big programme. With more than 100 players on stage for the second half, it was an exceptionally big orchestra and Strauss’ Alpine Symphony, the score of which calls for such huge forces, is a truly expansive work.

São Paulo also make a big sound, particularly robust and luscious in the rich lyricism of Strauss’ depiction of a day spent climbing a mountain, complete with cowbells and wind machine. Touring Europe to celebrate its 70th birthday, the orchestra is working from a bank of repertoire, not all of which particularly cohered in the choices made for Edinburgh.

Great to showcase the strongly committed violin playing of Roman Simovic in the first half, but the Violin Concerto by Ginastera immediately followed by the Carmen Fantasie for solo violin and orchestra by Hollywood composer Franz Waxman made for an odd pairing. With conductor Thierry Fischer’s unfussy direction, sharpness of ensemble occasionally lost out to immediacy of full-on orchestral sound in Brazilian composer Camargo Guarnieri’s Vila Rica Suite.

São Paulo Symphony Orchestra reviewed at Usher Hall as part of Edinburgh International Festival; main picture: Maxime Ragni.