Schubert never heard his final and greatest symphony performed. The dusty manuscript was discovered by Robert Schumann ten years after the composer’s death and the work then received its first public performance under Mendelssohn at the Leipzig Gewandhaus in March 1939. A grand symphony on a Beethovenian scale Mendelssohn said of the work ‘It is, without doubt, one of the best works which we have recently heard. Bright, fascinating and original throughout, it stands at the head of his instrumental works’ and Schumann hailed the symphony for its ‘heavenly length’ declaring it to be ‘the greatest instrumental work since Beethoven’s death’.

Unfortunately Christoph von Dohnányi is unwell and is unable to conduct this concert. We are very grateful to Fabio Luisi, who has stepped in to conduct in Maestro von Dohnányi's place at extremely short notice.