The two main pieces in ERSO’s Welcome Back to Waterloo have something in common – both had a poor initial reception, even though they are now known as masterpieces.
Schubert completed his 9th Symphony in 1826, and as he was not able to pay for a performance, he sent it to Vienna’s Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (Society of Friends of Music) – an amateur orchestra at the conservatory – who played it through but then put it aside as too long and difficult. It might have remained un-played had Schumann not discovered the score after Schubert’s death.
The first performance of Elgar’s Cello Concerto in 1919, conducted by Elgar, was also not a success. The conductor of the rest of the programme over-ran his part of the rehearsal schedule, and so Elgar and the performers did not have enough rehearsal time and the piece was poorly received. The work did not achieve wide popularity until the 1960s, when Jacqueline du Pre’s recording caught the public imagination.
Join us to hear these two amazing pieces on 30 October at St John’s Waterloo: Tickets and future concerts
ERSO 