Mendelssohn’s “Reformation” Symphony

Refresh your mind and spirit with Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 5, a triumphant work of “Reformation” featuring hymns and quotations from both Protestant and Jewish influences. In it you’ll find youthful energy and dramatic tension—a thematic emancipation of Protestantism from Catholic doctrine and (less intentionally) a window into Mendelssohn’s artistic struggle in the shadow of Beethoven. This spiritually uplifting program also features two chorales: Bach’s “Es ist genug” and Lindberg’s masterful reworking of the piece through a modern lens. Then, Stella Chen commands the stage with Prokofiev’s Second Violin Concerto, a “nomadic” work composed across Paris, Russia, and Azerbaijan. Listen for spicy, folk-like melodies, pizzicato (plucked string) accompaniments, and rhythmic intensity throughout.