Mendelssohn: The Complete Symphonies No.2
The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and director Sir András Schiff’s Mendelssohn series reaches its climax in a concert with the much-loved Violin Concerto.
The E minor Violin Concerto, performed tonight by Alina Ibragimova, is arguably the composer’s greatest musical achievement.
It dates from 1844, the latest work in this series, and while classically proportioned its seemingly endless flow of melody and genius of invention also make it a pinnacle of the early Romantic era – the benchmark which so many future concertos for the instrument aspire to or rebel against.
The series comes to a fitting conclusion with Mendelssohn’s wonder-filled Lobgesang (Song of Praise), a symphony-cantata written in 1840 to mark the 400th anniversary of Gutenburg’s movable type printing press, one of the great Enlightenment inventions, with Sir András directing from the fortepiano.
Performers
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Sir András Schiff director
Alina Ibragimova violin
Lucy Crowe soprano
soprano to be announced
Nicky Spence tenor
Choir of the Age of Enlightenment
Repertoire
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
Mendelssohn: Symphony No.2 in B flat (Lobgesang)
Need to know
The first two parts of Mendelssohn: The Complete Symphonies take place on Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 April.
For your visit
This event is held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall Southbank Centre
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is open from 90 minutes before events start until they finish. It’s closed at all other times.
Plan your visit
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is home to both our second-largest auditorium and the Purcell Room.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.