Rattle and Freiburg Baroque Orchestra illuminate Schumann's 'problem' works at Proms

At the Royal Albert Hall in London, guest conductor Simon Rattle led the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra through an all-Schumann programme featuring three works long considered problematic: an overture to an abandoned opera, a violin concerto deemed so disappointing that executors sequestered it for a century, and a symphony composed during the composer's depression. Violinist Isabelle Faust performed as soloist.

The Genoveva overture opened with a moody character, with Rattle and the ensemble drawing listeners through musical storytelling rather than volume, particularly via a striking quartet of horns. The work, closer to Mendelssohn than Wagner, was regarded as dated by 1848 standards but emerged "bristling with romance and chivalry" in this performance, despite the Royal Albert Hall's acoustic challenges for period instruments.