Performer: Melanie Diener

Realism elbows aside romanticism in this dark departure from a star-studded tradition.

Impression mitigée au sortir de ce long voyage musical de près de quatre heures.

Following their acclaimed 'Bartók: Infernal Dance' series, the Philharmonia moved on Thursday to another of the twentieth century’s great composers: Richard Strauss. Strauss’s youthful tone poems, Don Juan and Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche were contrasted with his gloriously autumnal Four Last Songs, with Mozart’s 25th Symphony serving as a rather unexpected companion.