Schumann, Bartók & Brahms

Photo by Peggychoucair from Pixabay

Saturday 14 June 2025, 7:30pm
Sheldonian Theatre

Schumann - Genoveva Overture
Bartók - Violin Concerto no.2
Brahms - Symphony no.4

Stefan Simonca-Oprita violin
Robert Max conductor

In Schumann's only opera, Genoveva, drama ensues after a failed attempt to seduce Genoveva, the wife of Siegfrid. Mirroring the storyline, the overture follows the same dramatic trajectory, with music moving through ominous and wrenching moods, arriving at eventual majesty and triumph.

Bartók's second violin concerto was written for Zoltán Székely, his long-standing recital partner. This concerto is infused with styles from Hungarian folk music, and is very much a celebration of life, and is played for us by Stefan Simonca-Oprita.

Despite featuring great warmth and lyrical beauty, Brahms' 4th symphony has a definite tragic character. The finale is based on a passacaglia: a sequence variations on a bass pattern. It ends with a bleak but thrilling conclusion, cementing its place as a firm favourite in the classical repertoire.