Women composers hold the spotlight in this concert of 19th-century music.
Daniel Bard Director & Violin
Hélène Grimaud Piano
Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel Overture in C
Beethoven Piano Concerto No 4
Emilie Mayer Symphony No 5 in F minor
Two wonderful women composers of the Romantic era hold the spotlight in this imaginative concert of 19th-century music. The ‘fantastic’ (The Guardian) Kammerorchester Basel performs under the direction of principal violinist Daniel Bard.
Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel was the older sister of Felix Mendelssohn, who affectionately named her ‘Minerva’ for her musical intelligence. In recent decades she has been recognised as an important composer and is celebrated internationally for her songs and chamber works. The sparkling Overture in C is her only purely orchestral work. It is performed alongside the dramatic Fifth Symphony by her prolific contemporary Emilie Mayer, who was described in her lifetime as ‘a female Beethoven’.
Acclaimed for her ‘thrilling, deeply personal brand of music-making’ (Classic FM), French pianist Hélène Grimaud gives a heartfelt performance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s poetic and playful Fourth Piano Concerto.