Symphony No. 2 in B-flat Major, op. 52 ("Hymn of Praise") by Mendelssohn, Wie der Hirsch schreit nach frischem Wasser, op. 42 by Mendelssohn, De (2016/2016), Director musical John Eliot Gardiner, Andrew Manze

Mendelssohn describes Psalm 42 as his “very best sacred composition”, an enthusiastic response from a composer who was usually such a severe self-critic. Composed during his time in Leipzig, Mendelssohn’s Second Symphony “Lobgesang” takes the hybrid form of a Symphony-Cantata, blending secular and sacred styles with this stirring work that takes the audience on a spiritual journey to enlightenment.