Capuçon, Shani and the Wiener Symphoniker play French music in Aix

By Mark Valencia, 16 April 2019

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“Capuçon attacked the score with such eloquent anguish that it became a threnody”

Reviewed at Grand Théâtre de Provence, Aix-en-Provence on 15 April 2019

Dukas, The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Ravel, Tzigane

Ravel, Daphnis et Chloé: Suite no. 2

Chausson, Poème, for violin and orchestra, Op.25

Massenet, Thaïs: Méditation

Ravel, La Valse

Renaud Capuçon, Violin

Vienna Symphony Orchestra

Lahav Shani, Conductor

Resplendent Strauss from Canellakis and the Wiener Symphoniker

Mark Pullinger, 17th December

Leif Ove Andsnes joins the Vienna Symphony in the Musikverein's Golden Hall for a glowing account of Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto before a terrific Tod und Verklärung.

*****

Wiener Symphoniker parties in style at the Concertgebouw

Clare Varney, 3rd November

Jan Lisiecki joins Petr Popelka and the touring Wiener Symphoniker at the Concertgebouw for Grieg's Piano Concerto.

****1

Stefan Herheim’s bold Fledermaus at MusikTheater an der Wien

Chanda VanderHart, 13th October

Herheim’s Fledermaus is a risky experiment that, miraculously, works – at least in a city that knows it so intimately.

****1

Grigorian and Akhmetshina dazzle in a secular Norma

Chanda VanderHart, 19th February

In a week where Vienna welcomes two new productions of Bellini's Norma, MusikTheater an der Wien sets a high bar with Vasily Barkhatov's staging.

****1

A spectacular Freischütz in Bregenz

Thomas Schacher, 19th July

At the Bregenz Festival, director Philpp Stölzl gives us a radical updating of the classic, with an interpretation many miles away from Weber.

***11

Love in time of the drug wars: a contemporary Tancredi at Bregenz

Orsolya Gyárfás, 18th July

Anna Goryachova and Mélissa Petit shine as doomed lovers Tancredi and Amenaide, while Jan Philipp Gloger's contemporary setting has much to offer, but doesn't quite nail the landing.

***11

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Mark Valencia

Mark has worked in arts journalism for four decades, both as a writer and as a French-English translator. Nowadays he focuses his energies on reviewing opera and music. Mark also writes for Opera magazine and for Musical America as a correspondent for Europe and the UK.

When words fail: Capuçon, Shani and the Wiener Symphoniker play French music in Aix