The Mendelssohns

What could be better on an April evening than a spring symphony! With his Symphony No. 1 in B Major, Robert Schumann wanted to describe the lush greenery adorning the entire world. We can thank Clara, his wife-to-be at the time, for the symphony’s existence at all. In January 1839, she wrote in a letter that she thought it was time he began composing for orchestra, because his creativity was too great for the feeble piano.

The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra is conducted here by Karl-Heinz Steffens, chief conductor of both the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet in Oslo, and of Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz.

The programme also offers music by the Mendelssohn siblings: an overture by Fanny, and a violin concerto by Felix. The overture from 1832 is a masterful piece of craftsmanship. The brother’s lyrical Violin Concerto premiered over a decade later, and it has come to be one of the most frequently performed violin concertos.

The evening’s soloist, violinist Alina Pogostkina, has worked with conductors such as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Gustavo Dudamel and Sakari Oramo, and has performed this season in solos with the Philharmonique de Radio France, the BBC Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Her debut concert with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra was in March 2011.