An Evening with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra 2024
Mendelssohn and Haydn
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Umberto Clerici conductor
Natalie Chee* violin
Program
Mendelssohn The Hebrides
Haydn Violin Concerto in C major*
Mendelssohn Symphony No.3 Scottish
About this performance
Australian violinist Natalie Chee, Concertmaster of the Gürzenich Orchestra in Cologne, joins QSO Chief Conductor Umberto Clerici for a wonderful program that sees the MSO performing classical treasures by Mendelssohn and Haydn.
Awestruck by the towering columns of rock and the rushing water at Fingal’s Cave on a visit to Scotland’s Hebrides islands, Mendelssohn wrote his evocative overture depicting the monumental beauty and forces of nature he encountered.
Haydn's Violin Concerto is reminiscent of works by Baroque composers such as Vivaldi, and is both technically brilliant and beautifully sublime. Written to showcase the talents of violinist Luigi Tomasini in the 1760s, the score was lost for more than 100 years after Haydn's death, and rediscovered in the 20th century.
Inspired by the ruins of the Palace of Holyrood, Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony evokes a musical restoration of the castle and its stories of love, war, betrayal, and murder. Bursting with intrigue, this symphony paints a sonic picture of pale Scottish light casting shadows on centuries-old, moss-covered stone.
Duration: approx. 2 hours including interval
*Please note: Sophie Rowell is unable to perform Beethoven's Violin Concerto as originally scheduled. The MSO welcomes Natalie Chee as soloist to perform Hadyn's Violin Concerto in C.
