ORCHESTRA OF THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT 10

Concert

Mendelssohn Symphony no. 1

Piano Concerto no. 1

Symphony no. 4 (Italian)

Mendelssohn’s C minor symphony, his first scored for full orchestra after a series of works for strings, is packed with originality, astonishing for a fifteen year-old composer. The piano concerto shows many of his strengths, as a dramatic first movement gives way to a lyrical and tender slow section. The finale is a tour de force of elegant, fleet-fingered virtuosity. The irresistibly exuberant Italian Symphony captures in four movements his impressions of the country. The slow movement is a pilgrim’s march, and the gently flowing scherzo is followed by an exhilarating Neapolitan dance as a finale.

Thursday 9 May