Live, Video: Kritiken zu klassischen Konzerten, Opern, Ballett und Tanz finden | New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

The unexpected grounding of Airbus A320s across the globe has musical consequences in Auckland, but Joyce DiDonato’s Berlioz saves the day. 

Heard side by side, these two Stabat Maters, neither of which is a typical example of its kind, make for an evening of striking contrasts under conductor Valentina Peleggi. 

A key feature of New’s Mahler is the ability to keep everything cohesive across the long span of the works as witnessed in this account of the Sixth Symphony. 

In invigorating performances of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven in Auckland, Suzuki's interpretative approach evokes the sensibilities of historically informed performance. 

Daniil Trifonov takes New Zealand by storm with a performance of Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto of technical command and musical artistry.

The NZSO are on sparkling form in Puccini arias and other operatic orchestral passages; Eliza Boom shows her potential as a Puccini singer of the future.

Centred around Scriabin’s mystical Poem of Ecstasy, a thrilling journey through the byways of twentieth century music takes in New Zealand, Finland and France.

The strings brought gleaming tone to their long phrases, the cellos particularly gorgeous in tone and deeply felt in phrasing, and New built each restatement to glorious and emotional crushing climax. 

Hahn balanced tranquility and ferocity in Prokofiev's First Violin Concerto, and conductor Gemma New drew out an especially nuanced reading of Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony.

A combination of Western orchestral tradition and traditional Māori culture proves a fascinating and a worthwhile contribution to New Zealand’s orchestral repertoire.

Slick editing and filming of an exhilarating and uplifting performance conducted by Hamish McKeich in Wellington. 

De Waart once again showed a formidable grasp of the musical structure so that the occasional outbursts of violence made thematic sense and a strong feeling of tension led up to the final cry of despair.

Edo de Waart and the NZSO thrill with the old warhorse that is Schubert's ninth as much as in an insightful and exciting rendition of Salonen's Violin Concerto.

It was an altogether riotous and highly enjoyable performance of a wacky work, one long overdue to be heard in this country.

This was astonishing and gripping vocalism from a true master of Berlioz style.

The New Zealander Heldentenor makes a welcome return to Auckland for Wagner's erotic song cycle. 

Edo de Waart opted frequently for slow, steady tempi that robbed the music of a lot of its inner vitality.

Four Last Songs impresses with the radiant Christiane Libor, Mahler demands a little more tension and sense of propulsion than conductor Edo de Waart provided.

The interpretation was crowned by the most rapt rendition of the last movement imaginable, all yearningly luminescent and full of spellbinding nobility of tone from the orchestra.

And well should the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra celebrate too, if this concert is any indication of the quality of music-making to come.

"under Inkinen the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra has set a standard that is rarely surpassed even internationally"

Both new works by Michael Williams and James Ledger rose to the challenge of marking Anzac Day admirably with personal and intense responses to the tragedy of war.

A disappointing take on three Beethoven masterpieces from Freddy Kempf and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. 

A rendition of The Creation in Auckland that had one marvelling anew at Haydn’s ingenuity and spirit. 

The impression left by the closing moments of the Mahler and the silence that followed will remain in the memory of this reviewer for some time to come.

On Thursday, a polar storm swept up New Zealand doing major damage to Wellington and, in the process, trapped the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra there as they prepared to fly to Auckland.

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra really has the perfect Wagner sound. Their full, vibrant string tone and magnificent pealing brass were fully in evidence in a thrilling rendition of the concert version of the overture from Tannhäuser. Few moments in music are as exciting as the build-up to the Big Tune in this piece, and the orchestra’s performance here was barnstorming yet perfectly accurate.