Mozart and Schumann

Like so many of Robert Schumann's musical works, the Fourth Symphony has deep and passionate roots in the composer's personal life. He began composing it shortly after his long-awaited wedding to Clara Wieck, who received the work as a 22nd birthday gift. With its significant departures from the traditional form, the symphony was in many ways ahead of its time and consequently did not resonate with initial audiences, leading Schumann to set it aside. He composed two more symphonies before the work reemerged in a revised form in 1851, to great acclaim. Conducting this monumental work is the distinguished, Czech Czech conductor Tomáš Hanus. Hanus is the principal conductor of the Welsh National Opera and last appeared on stage in Harpa just over a year ago, conducting a hugely successful Dvořák's Eighth with the ISO.

The soloist in Mozart's Fourth Horn Concerto is Stefán Jón Bernharðsson, the horn section leader of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Stefán Jón is highly sought after internationally and is regularly invited as a guest leader by orchestras abroad. This year, he has performed with La Scala Opera and the New York Philharmonic, amongst others. Stefán Jón recorded Mozart's Fourth Horn Concerto with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra in 2000, but this will be the first time the concerto is performed in its entirety by the orchestra in concert. Like Mozart's other horn concertos, it was composed for Joseph Leutgeb, who was not only a close friend of the Mozart family but also the leading horn player of his time. The work is both virtuosic and filled with intimate, playful humor, especially in the famous, light-hearted closing rondo.

The concert kicks off with Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta by Béla Bartók, where intricate polyphony, powerful folk melodies and mysterious nocturnal music blend. The unique atmosphere of the work has secured its unique place in contemporary culture, especially in the world of film.