London, UK – Philharmonia Orchestra – Smetana, Mendelssohn, Schumann

PERFORMERS
Jakub Hrůša, conductor
Nicola Benedett, violin
Philharmonia Orchestra

PROGRAMME
Smetana: Overture, The Two Widows
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
— Interval —
Schumann: Symphony No. 3, ‘Rhenish’

PROGRAMME NOTE
Mendelssohn’s glorious Violin Concerto in the hands of one of the great violinists of our time – what better way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Lyrical and virtuosic in equal measure, Mendelssohn’s only Violin Concerto has long been one of the best-loved works in the classical repertoire. The chance to hear it live from this dream team of orchestra, conductor and soloist is a highlight in London’s musical calendar.

Conductor Jakub Hrůša reunites Mendelssohn with his friend Schumann – the two met regularly with fellow musicians to set the world to rights in the cafes of 1830s Leipzig. The last symphony Schumann wrote, the Rhenish was inspired by a happy holiday with his wife Clara. The second movement evokes the broad, peacefully flowing river Rhine, the fourth, with its sombre brass chorales, tells of a ceremony the couple witnessed in Cologne Cathedral, and the finale brings this joyful concert to a close in celebratory mood.