Conductor Thomas Dausgaard takes us on a 19h-century journey through two original symphonies: Robert Schumann’s Second Symphony, and Johan Svendsen’s Second Symphony, for a concert that contains the orchestra’s many colours and irresistible melodies.
Robert Schumann’s Second Symphony has a note of hope. Love glimmers in the finale in the sound of a singing oboe, dedicated to his wife Clara. But it is not difficult to detect the depth of his pain, especially in the melancholy adagio movement. The composer battled his profession and his illness, and his Second Symphony took an entire year to complete.
Johan Svendsen was Norway’s answer to Schumann, but had a richer and longer life. His Second Symphony is full of colour and irresistible melodies that are captivating the entire time. Svendsen’s Second Symphony is his most prominent work. The symphony has been part of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra’s repertoire for a long time, with its first performance already in 1907.
Thomas Dausgaard is a Danish conductor who has been active in Seattle and with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. He is now Honorary Guest Conductor of the Copenhagen Phil.
