Mendelssohn's 1829 trip to Scotland was artistically fruitful, ultimately leading to the creation of the famous Hebrides overture as well as the beginning of what would become his Symphony No. 3. Though he put it aside for over a decade and only finished it in 1842 in Berlin, the work's initial inspiration has stuck in the minds of audiences over the centuries; it has since become one of Mendelssohn's most popularly performed masterpieces, interpreted with vigor and passion here by Mäkelä and the Oslo Philharmonic. After the break, they are joined by Tamestit for the delightfully singular Harold in Italy, a symphony with a solo viola part inspired by Byron's Childe Harold's Pilgrimage and initially requested by Paganini—who then declined to perform the work, only later to become one of its greatest admirers.

Photo: Klaus Mäkelä © Marco Borggreve

Klaus Mäkelä appears courtesy of Decca Classics. Click here to discover his Decca releases, including a Sibelius box set with the Oslo Philharmonic and a new Stravinsky album with the Orchestre de Paris.