The Cello Concerto in A minor by Robert Schumann was composed quickly because the composer wrote it in just two weeks. The plans to perform the work failed, though, and the premiere came only several years after the composer’s death. The work is devoid of virtuoso elements and for this reason was considered a less successful  for a long time. Only the later generations have appreciated the piece for its mood and depth of expression.

We will also hear Symphony No. 2 in C major, on which Schumann began working in December 1845 but did not finish it until October 1846. The reason was the artist’s deteriorating health. Depression combined with tinnitus made work on the piece very difficult. The music is nevertheless amazing – full of energy, momentum and optimism. Various commentators quickly noticed in this discrepancy and in the triumphant character of the work a manifestation of the victory that the composer’s spirit won over adversity, following the example of Ludwig van Beethoven’s famous Fifth Symphony. In his Second Symphony, Schumann paid tribute to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach: he began the symphony with a chorale played by the brass section, which brings to mind Baroque chorale preludes. He also found a place for the motif of B-A-C-H sounds, symbolizing the author of Brandenburg Concertos. He dedicated his work to Oscar I, king of Sweden and Norway.