Schumann and Chopin

Schumann and Chopin

In this concert, you can expect pure romance! Robert Schumann's Second Symphony practically glows with energy, emotion, and vitality. Written during a time of personal crises, the music tells of inner struggle, but also of triumph and hope. The finale in particular is a true fireworks display, making Schumann's genius and unwavering will to live impressively palpable. On the other hand, Frédéric Chopin's First Piano Concerto transports its listeners to a world full of elegance and passion. With virtuosic runs and enchanting melodies, Chopin demonstrates why he was celebrated as one of the greatest pianists and composers of his time. As the icing on the cake, an overture by Fanny Hensel, the sister of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, who was equally as talented as her brilliant brother, will be performed.

Lang Lang plays Schumann, Chopin and Fauré

Celebrity pianist Lang Lang opens our piano series with an evening of high romanticism. Frédéric Chopin’s mazurkas are a fascinating combion of folk-dance vigour with virtuosity and a sensitive awareness of sound, and Schumann’s Kreisleriana cycle bubbles over with imagination and emotion. Schumann’s cycle portrayed the composer in eight pieces, which together give – he wrote – a “picture of my character, my endeavours”. To open the concert, Lang Lang plays Gabriel Fauré’s Pavane, which combines romantic sensitivity with archaic baroque references.

Sibelius and Schumann

Sibelius' Violin Concerto is one of the most performed violin concertos of the 20th century. However, its tonal language belongs to the late 19th century, and the music is warm and lyrical, dramatic and melancholic. Sibelius, himself a violinist, possibly wrote the concerto he himself would have wanted to play – albeit on a technical level far beyond his own. It is among the more challenging in the genre, as many violinists have attested.Taking on the challenge is the Russian-born Israeli violinist Maxim Vengerov, one of the greats of our time, who has only performed with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra once before, and that was 30 years ago! He is ranked among the world's finest, and in addition to performing concerts on the major classical stages, he is a guest professor at both the International Menuhin Music Academy in Switzerland and the Royal College of Music in London.Full of inspiration, Robert Schumann began work on his second symphony in early December 1845. However, his depressions, poor health, and constant tinnitus meant that it wasn't until the following autumn that the symphony was completed. Yet, his severe personal condition has not left its mark on the music at all; instead, the symphony is bright and forward-looking: a resounding triumph over the darker aspects of life.The concert begins with the Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho's hypnotically evocative Ciel d’hiver, Winter Sky – an arrangement of a part of her orchestral work Orion. The music is inspired by the Greek myth of the hunter Orion, who was transformed into a constellation. Saariaho's music possesses a strange beauty that makes her unique, and she is considered one of the most significant composers of our time. Saariaho passed away in 2023, and ten years earlier, she was awarded the Polar Music Prize.Learn more about Chief Conductor Ryan Bancroft

Schumann and Brahms

"The melodies fly so freely that one must be careful not to step on any." When listening to Johannes Brahms' Second Symphony, one can hear that he composed it almost in the midst of nature. He spent an entire summer at Lake Wörthersee in Austria, where one can still trace the landscapes that inspired his melodies. Even the audience at the time believed to hear blue skies, babbling springs, sunshine, and cool shadows in it, and to this day, it is probably his most popular work for orchestra. In contrast, Robert Schumann's Violin Concerto is very introspective, and for a long time, it stood somewhat in the shadow of other concerts of its kind. Very human and full of soulful emotions set to music, it certainly does not fall short of them!

Works by Mozart and Chopin

The Schumann Couple and Felix

Clara Schumann's piano concerto is stunningly beautiful and a sparkling fireworks display. She was one of the most admired and influential pianists of the 19th century, performing in the same league as Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt. In the concerto, we also hear the inspiration from Chopin, whom she preferred over Liszt. Clara Schumann was only 16 years old when she premiered the virtuosic concerto herself in Leipzig in 1835.The soloist in Clara Schumann's piano concerto is the Romanian-British pianist Alexandra Dariescu, known for her expressive playing as well as her advocacy for female composers. Around the same time Clara performed her piano concerto, she met her future husband Robert, one of the great figures of Romantic music. His impassioned overture to the incidental music for Manfred is based on Lord Byron's dramatic poem.Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy was a friend of Clara and Robert Schumann – also a great Romantic with a particular sense for melodic beauty. This is evident in his Fifth Symphony, which is also a tribute to Johann Sebastian Bach. Swedish conductor Magnus Fryklund makes his debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with this concert. Educated in Denmark, he has made a name for himself particularly as a skilled opera conductor, including in France.

Works by Haydn and Schumann

Works by Haydn and Schumann

Works by Haydn and Schumann