Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with Benedetti

Hear Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto brought to life in all its glory by the Philharmonia Orchestra and one of the great violinists of our time, Nicola Benedetti. 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. What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon. 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.