Irish Chamber Orchestra
Jörg Widmann Principal Conductor/Clarinet
Carolin Widmann Violin

Mendelssohn Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture Op.21
Widmann Paraphrase on the Wedding March of Mendelssohn for Solo Violin
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64
Schubert Symphony No.9 in C major, D.944 The Great

Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture is a startling work of tremendous originality. The 17 year old composer created a new musical genre (the concert overture), and used musical language and expression unlike any that had come before. Jörg Widmann’s Paraphrase on the Wedding March of Mendelssohn – a special commission by world renowned architect Daniel Libeskind for the wedding of his daughter Nina – takes the Wedding March into the 21st century, and is performed by virtuoso violinist Carolin Widmann. She also plays the last of Mendelssohn’s major orchestral works, his lyrical Violin Concerto Op. 64, celebrated from the outset as a masterpiece. Schubert’s Great C major Symphony was premiered by Mendelssohn and was the first of the big Romantic symphonies. Expansive in proportions, Schubert’s final symphony abounds with melody whilst providing an important link between the Classical and Romantic styles.