French rarities from Alain Altinoglu and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony

Alain Altinoglu and Ambroisine Bré

Ambroisine Bré and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony

By Alexander Hall, 22 March 2023

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

“the playing was crisp, with a light and deft touch applied to the rhythmically complex structures”

Reviewed at Elbphilharmonie: Grand Hall, Hamburg on 21 March 2023

Dutilleux, Symphony no. 2, "Le Double”

Debussy, Ariettes oubliées (arr. by Brett Dean)

Rimsky-Korsakov, Scheherazade, Op.35

Ambroisine Bré, Mezzo-soprano

Frankfurt Radio Symphony

Alain Altinoglu, Conductor

Altinoglu and Rachlin reveal the dark side of the 20th-century ethos

Edward Sava-Segal, 8th September

At the George Enescu International Festival, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony plays music without consolation by Sibelius and Shostakovich.

****1

A boisterous opening at the Dvořák Prague Festival

Frank Kuznik, 5th September

Alain Altinoglu and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra leave a lot to the imagination in a fiery treatment of two signature Dvořák works.

***11

Andrés Orozco-Estrada gives farewell concert with the Frankfurt RSO

Alexander Hall, 27th June

Partnering Augustin Hadelich in the Sibelius Violin Concerto and directing two works by Mendelssohn, Andrés Orozco-Estrada doesn't quite temper acoustic problems associated with the ecclesiastical venue.

****1

Sergey Malov makes the case for “off the shoulder” Boccherini

Laurence Vittes, 28th January

In a world of Sergey Malovs the violoncello da spalla could have been a contender.

****1

A Greek connection: Constantinos Carydis in Frankfurt

Alexander Hall, 14th January

In this musical journey the Greek conductor Constantinos Carydis takes you to Athens and Crete, while Igor Levit explores Apollonian qualities in Mozart.

***11

Sadness and joy reflected in Schubert and Dvořák

Alexander Hall, 25th October

The radio symphony orchestras based in the individual federal states are some of Germany's musical jewels. Here, Andrés Orozco-Estrada and his Frankfurt musicians together with tenor Christian Elsner demonstrate their mettle.

****1

More reviews...

Alexander Hall

Alexander Hall divides his time between London and Hamburg, where he had a career in academic administration and teaching. He reviews for Bachtrack and Opera Today, and has also reviewed for Classical Source. A connoisseur of the great orchestras of the world, his musical memories stretch back to Karajan/Berlin Phil, Mravinsky/Leningrad Phil, Bernstein/Vienna Phil, and he has seen most of the great conductors from the past, including Böhm, Klemperer, Kubelik, Ormandy and Szell.

Two French rarities from Alain Altinoglu and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony