An evening of high drama in Amsterdam

By Aaron Davies, 12 July 2018

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Reviewed at Concertgebouw: Main Hall, Amsterdam on 11 July 2018

Mendelssohn, The Hebrides Overture, “Fingal's Cave”, Op.26

Mozart, Flute Concerto no. 1 in G major, K313 (K285c)

Beethoven, Symphony no. 5 in C minor, Op.67

Emmanuel Pahud, Flute

Gürzenich Orchestra

François-Xavier Roth, Conductor

Wagner’s Dutchman drops anchor in Provence

Mark Pullinger, 10th April

The Flying Dutchman – or Le Vaisseau fantôme as it is known in French – makes a fleeting appearance at the Grand Théâtre de Provence in a rousing concert performance conducted by the dapper François-Xavier Roth.

****1

An excellent Rhenish from the Rhineland

Simon Thompson, 22nd June

Schumann's Third returns to its spiritual home as François-Xavier Roth conducts the Gürzenich Orchestra in a fine Rhenish.

***11

Punch and passion from Gürzenich Orchester Köln

Mark Thomas, 13th April

An exciting, though brief, world premiere and Schubert’s turbulent Fourth Symphony were given impressive readings by the Gürzenich Orchestra under Michael Sanderling, with Raphaela Gromes sensitive and passionate in Schumann.

****1

Raising a glass to greatness: Gürzenich's splendid Stravinsky marathon

Roy Westbrook, 6th April

The players gathered at the bar for a Scotch as the credits rolled. After three hours and twenty minutes of note-taking, I decided to follow suit.

****1

Musical contrasts from Fabien Gabel and the Gürzenich Orchester Köln

Phillip Nones, 16th March

In Cologne, Stravinsky's neoclassicism comes up against the echt-romanticism of Schreker and Korngold, ending in a draw.

****1

Beethoven and beyond: the Gürzenich reinvents the concert programme

Matthew Rye, 21st February

François-Xavier Roth and the Gürzenich Orchestra tear up the traditional concert programme to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth.

****1

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Aaron Davies

A lifelong aficionado of classical music in all its various guises, Aaron spent his formative years studying musical composition whilst playing a number of instruments. Today, his day job involves running an international technology business. He derives particular pleasure from expanding his “virtual” music library via the use of online streaming services. If pressed to compile a desert island disc, he would most likely select works from the catalogues of Beethoven, Schumann, Rachmaninov and Gershwin.

Roth, Pahud and the Gurzenich deliver an evening of high drama in Amsterdam