Isabelle Faust plays Schumann's Violin Concerto

Isabelle Faust

German violinist Isabelle Faust is a rare all-rounder: she effortlessly switches between Baroque music – played on gut strings – and the Romantic, modern, and contemporary repertoire. She approaches everything with musicological expertise, but ultimately relies on her fabulous technique and impeccable taste. De Volkskrant raved: "Isabelle Faust's violin playing is jaw-dropping. From low whipping to high whistling, no (...) trick is too difficult for her. Equally impressive is her cantabile, the art of making an instrument sing."

Schumann's expressive Violin Concerto

Robert Schumann's expressive Violin Concerto was the last major work he completed before dying in an institution after a suicide attempt, suffering from severe depression. In the past, this Violin Concerto was sometimes associated with that depression, being called a "dark work." We now know better. Schumann's impetuous, romantic, and highly expressive Violin Concerto embodies every color of the rainbow. And the slow movement is one of the most beautiful movements for violin and orchestra ever written.