Brahms' Double Concerto
Who’s on stage
At the heart of this year’s Lammermuir Festival, violinist Maria Włoszczowska, cellist Laura van der Heijden, and conductor Dinis Sousa come together for an evening of music full of colour, warmth, and spirit with Royal Northern Sinfonia.
What they’re playing
Performances of Brahms’s Double Concerto are surprisingly rare, considering its importance as his last significant orchestral piece. It is not, to be sure, a flashy showpiece for the soloists – more an intimate, sometimes searching conversation between two equals. But its glowing, ‘autumnal’ beauty makes it a wonderful vehicle for two exceptional string players.
One of Mozart’s finest overtures opens the programme, and we end with Mendelssohn’s ‘Italian’ symphony evoking Mediterranean sunshine, religious solemnity and intoxicating dance.
What you'll hear
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Overture to ‘Don Giovanni’
Johannes Brahms Concerto for Violin and Cello in A minor
Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 in A major ‘Italian’