Christoph Eschenbach conducts Bach and Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn Overture to Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 21
Bach Violin Concerto No. 2 in E major, BWV 1042
Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90, ‘Italian’

Christoph Eschenbach conductor
Thomas Zehetmair violin

Two things inspired Mendelssohn more than anything else: travel and literature. This concert under Christoph Eschenbach celebrates both, opening with all the magic and mystery of the composer’s overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the play by Shakespeare for which he wrote extensive incidental music, and concluding with the boundless exhilaration and joy of his Italian Symphony, which overflows with the composer’s unique brand of perfected spontaneity. Between them comes the Violin Concerto in E minor from Mendelssohn’s other great love: Bach.

This concert contains a pre-concert talk given by Stephen Carpenter which runs from 18:30 to 18:55.

Mendelssohn in Italy– an illustrated talk by Stephen Carpenter
This talk will give an account of the Italian journey undertaken by Felix Mendelssohn in 1830 and 1831. It was a journey that would inspire Mendelssohn to write one of his best-loved works, his Symphony No. 4 – the ‘Italian’. This was the continuation of his “Grand Tour” which had begun in England and (unusually) Scotland in 1829 and now took him to Italy, which was the country visited by many young men of means in the early 19th century. The talk will bring Mendelssohn’s journey vividly to life by showing several of the fine sketches and watercolours that he made during his travels, and give an introduction to the ‘Italian’ Symphony that brings the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra’s concert to a close.