Schumann's Piano Concerto and Beethoven's Symphony No. 4

Romantic masterpieces with Shunske Sato

Violin virtuoso Shunske Sato, former artistic director and concertmaster of the Netherlands Bach Society, is a guest of the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra for the first time. Sato's interpretation of Beethoven's Fourth Symphony is promising: will he do as surprising things as in his recent recordings of Beethoven's violin sonatas? And how will the solo concertos of the Schumann couple sound under the direction of this specialist in the romantic style? Sato himself will solo in the enchanting slow movement from Robert Schumann's Violin Concerto.

Piano concertos by the Schumanns by Alexander Melnikov

Soloist in the Schumanns' piano concertos is Alexander Melnikov. This Russian master pianist calls Robert Schumann's music ‘original, intuitive and imaginative’. Having previously successfully recorded the piano trios and the Second Piano Concerto, Melnikov now plays the lesser-known Concert-Allegro with introduction. It was one of the last works Robert would complete and he gifted the manuscript to his talented wife Clara on her birthday in 1853. That Clara Schumann was not only an excellent pianist but also a gifted composer is clear from her own virtuoso Piano Concerto.