Wagner Siegfried Idyll
R. Schumann Violin Concerto
Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4, ‘Italian’

 

On Christmas morning in 1870, Cosima Wagner was woken by the sound of music: dreamy, sweet music, played by a small orchestra on the landing outside her bedroom. It had been composed by her husband as a very special birthday gift.

This gorgeous piece is twinned with Schumann’s only violin concerto, performed by the incredible German violinist Veronika Eberle.

To finish, one of the most perfect symphonies: Mendelssohn’s ebullient 'Italian' Symphony, an irresistible song of sunlight and blue sky.