Schumann / Mendelssohn

R. SCHUMANN
Cello Concerto

MENDELSSOHN
Symphony No. 1

Shadow and light. This concert contrasts the sublime melancholy of the cello with the dazzling virtuosity of a 15-year-old genius. An emotional journey to the heart of German Romanticism.

This programme sketches two faces of German Romanticism. With his Cello Concerto, running counter to the demonstrative virtuosity of his time, Schumann composes a poetic meditation in which the soloist merges with the orchestra in an unbroken dialogue. The three movements flow as a single breath. Under the expressive bow of Mario Brunello, the instrument becomes a human voice, fragile and dreamy.

After this intimate immersion, Mendelssohn’s First Symphony opens up a different landscape: that of a reinvented classicism, driven by the energy of youth. Written at the age of fifteen, it already heralds an exceptional musical destiny. Laurence Equilbey and Insula orchestra, on period instruments, illuminate this German Romanticism with passion.

This concert is performed on period instruments.