The rise of historically informed performance practices has allowed small ensembles, like the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra that we welcome every season, to explore a once-forbidden repertoire. Nowadays, nobody is surprised to hear Beethoven’s 'Eroica' Symphony played by around forty musicians, an ensemble size close to that of its original production in Vienna in 1805. With the era of gigantism at an end, the focus is more on the clarity of Beethoven’s delicate textures over its depth. Yo-Yo Ma’s take of Robert Schumann’s Cello Concerto, with the orchestra reduced to chamber size, is a testament to this shift. Encouraged by Pablo Casals when he was still a precocious child, the great French-born Chinese-American cellist is one of the most well-known and beloved musicians the world over.