James Ehnes Plays Schumann

Saturday 20 April 2024

Sheldonian Theatre, 19:30

Weber Overture to Oberon, J. 306

Schumann Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 129

Schumann Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 97, ‘Rhenish’

James Ehnes violin

Marios Papadopoulos conductor

Robert Schumann’s forceful imagination, his inquisitive mind, his passion for literature and his music of rare poetry exerted an influence on European creativity for decades. This concert culminates in one of the most propulsive symphonies ever written: Schumann’s captivating orchestral portrait of the deep and majestic River Rhine, complete with its splendid procession in salute to Cologne Cathedral. Before it, James Ehnes plays the composer’s Violin Concerto – a piece thought lost until it was discovered, with help from a séance, in the 1930s. In its intricate writing, Schumann’s work has been compared to the plotting characters in a play – precisely what Weber sought to achieve in the overture to his enchanting opera Oberon.

Tickets £48 £38 £28 £15 (students from £5)