Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 97, also known as Rhenish, was written in 1850, when the composer and his family moved to Düsseldorf. There he became the city’s new music director. Fascinated by the personalities of the region, the beautiful scenery and the magnificent Rhine river, the composer plunged into his work; in just a few weeks he composed the Cello concerto and tackled the Third symphony. However, the composer’s deteriorating health hindered his focus onto a new field of work which promised the success. The Third symphony therefore captured the emotions Schumann was experiencing at the time – joy, energy, new possibilities and euphoria. Rhenish Symphony embodied an uplifting celebration and his admiration for the region.

Schumann’s solemn 5-movement symphonic canvas crowned the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society’s 83rd concert season, Stories Told in Sound. The Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra is conducted by Maestro Modestas Pitrėnas.