This weekend will be dominated by Beethoven and Schumann and the exciting young German ‘cellist Alban Gerhardt in a concert at London’s  Royal Festival Hall. I don’t go to orchestral concerts enough but I’m excited about this one especially as there is no music being played that breaks the rules of my self-imposed progress through the history of music in chronological order. I’ve got to 1876 so nothing written after that date is allowed. Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Schumann are on the bill – perfect fare for someone stuck in 1876. Alban Gerhardt’s fellow German Kurt Masur is conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra in Beethoven’s tempestuous Seventh Symphony (1811) and Schumann’s highly emotional ‘Cello Concerto (1850) with Alban Gerhardt as soloist. Kurt Masur is one of the grand old men of the German Romantic repertoire so I am looking forward to hearing his interpretation of two favourite and passionate composers in a programme of fiery music with the equally passionate Herr Gerhardt. It should be an evening to remember.

You can sample Alban Gerhardt’s interpretation of the Schumann Cello Concerto here:

Kurt Masur can be heard below conducting the rather impressive student orchestra from Senzoku Gakuen College of Music in the other piece being played tonight, another German Romantic composer, Mendelssohn’s overture (1839) to Victor Hugo’s heroic if rather over-blown play Ruy Blas:

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