Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra - Schumann's Cello Concerto March 9, 2012

"Brilliant" - The New York Times

Self-described "Schumann nut" Steven Isserlis tackles Schumann's daring cello concerto in this concert that features music by three of the greatest Romantic composers. The Guardian (U.K.) praises the "unrivalled intensity of his playing."

Mendelssohn described his overture The Fair Melusine, a work that inspired Wagner's overture to Das Rheingold, as the "best" and "most intimate" piece he had ever composed.

Philharmonia Baroque performed Brahms' first Serenade in February 2010, and the San Francisco Chronicle loved the "verve and robustness" of the performance, calling it "splendid." His second Serenade includes some of the most poetic music that Brahms wrote, and it's an apt conclusion to this concert of rich lyricism.

Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Steven Isserlis, violoncello

MENDELSSOHN: The Fair Melusine, Op. 32

SCHUMANN: Concerto for Violoncello in A Minor, Op. 129
Steven Isserlis, violoncello

BRAHMS: Serenade No. 2 in A Major, Op. 16

Official Website: http://www.philharmonia.org