NOSPR / Humala / Sham / In the Midday Light - NOSPR

Travel broadens the mind, as the old adage has it, and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s three-movement Piano Concerto in G minor, Op 25 stands as a clear testament to this truth. In the late 1820s and early 1830s, the twenty-year-old composer journeyed through Great Britain, Scotland, Weimar, France (Paris), and – for the longest stretch – Italy (Venice, Rome, Naples, and Milan). The impressions of these travels resonate throughout the concerto: in the radiant, sun-filled opening Molto allegro con fuoco, in the deeply felt, hymn-like Andante, and in the closing, triumphant Presto. Piano Concerto No 1 in G minor, Op 25 – premiered by its composer in 1831 in Munich – won over the hearts of audiences, although Felix Mendelssohn admitted that he had written it ‘in but a few days and almost carelessly’. Hector Berlioz would later remark that, after several dozen performances, the Erard piano refused to cooperate, and neither repairs, dismantling, nor even the ministrations of a priest with holy water could restore it.

With his instrumental concertos – for piano and violin alike – Mendelssohn effectively ushered in Romanticism. He was accompanied in this initiation (and in some respects even preceded) by another composer born in Germany: Carl Maria von Weber. His Symphony No 1 in C major, Op 19, composed between 1806 and 1807, bears witness to a deep-rooted attachment to tradition. The four-movement design of the cycle – a triumphant Allegro, a mournful Andante, a playful Scherzo with a trio, and a spirited final Presto – clearly recalls Beethoven’s achievements, while the lightness of texture and orchestration reveals an affinity (not only through Constanze) with Mozart.

Maria Wilczek-Krupa

Concert duration: aprroximately 60 minutes 

As this concert will be broadcast on Polish Radio Programme II, we kindly ask you to remain silent and refrain from applauding between movements. The opportunity for concentration and uninterrupted listening is an important aspect of the event; we therefore recommend the concert for children aged 7 and above. Thank you for your understanding and for helping us ensure a comfortable listening environment.

We also invite you to explore our programme of educational events designed especially for our youngest audience members: EDUCATIONAL EVENTS.

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