The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen / Truls Mørk / Paavo Järvi

»Schubert stands somewhere between Beethoven and Schumann. He creates a bridge to Romanticism while still drawing on the great models of the Classical era. He gives us the feeling that melodies simply flowed out of him,« enthuses Paavo Järvi. Schubert’s Italian Overture is an exuberant excursion onto the grand operatic stage, while his Symphony No. 2 pays tribute to Beethoven.

Robert Schumann composed his Cello Concerto full of energy and optimism shortly after taking up his position as Music Director in Düsseldorf. His wife Clara admired its »impetus, freshness and humour«. Contemporary cellists, however, found the work more difficult to embrace. Its seamless transitions between movements and the closely interwoven dialogue between soloist and orchestra ran counter to expectations of a dazzling virtuoso showpiece. The irony is that these very qualities are precisely what audiences and performers cherish most about the concerto today.