Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie / Frang / Peltokoski

Neither of them made it into the concert repertoire at the first attempt: Robert Schumann’s Violin Concerto and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s »Reformation Symphony«. Clara Schumann and Joseph Joachim believed they could detect signs of Robert’s illness in the former. Shortly after the work was completed, Robert was admitted to a psychiatric institution. Clara kept the as yet unpublished Violin Concerto under lock and key. The fact that it was later the National Socialists, of all people – for whom the popularity of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto was a thorn in their side – who first included it in their programme did nothing to make its reception any easier.

Prevented premiere
Although born a Jew, Mendelssohn, like his parents, converted to Protestantism. For the celebrations marking the 300th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession, he composed the so-called »Reformation Symphony«, which features the famous (Catholic) »Dresden Amen« as well as Luther’s »A Mighty Fortress Is Our God«, and perhaps also a Jewish folk song. The planned world premiere of the symphony ultimately fell victim to the turmoil of the July Revolution.

A belated encounter in the concert hall
Both works will now be performed back-to-back at a concert by the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. Vilde Frang is the soloist in Schumann’s Violin Concerto, in which she particularly appreciates the pioneering principle of dialogue between the violin and the orchestra. The concert will be conducted by the young, once-in-a-century talent Tarmo Peltokoski.