WDR Symphonieorchester Köln takes a gamble on young talent, but Kazuki Yamada delivers

By Gavin Dixon, 08 July 2013

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Reviewed at Kölner Philharmonie, Cologne on 6 July 2013

Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin: Suite

Prokofiev, Violin Concerto no. 2 in G minor, Op.63

Saint-Saëns, Symphony no. 3 in C minor "Organ Symphony", Op.78

WDR Symphony Orchestra

Kazuki Yamada, Conductor

Serge Zimmermann, Violin

Christian Schmitt, Organ

Not all mineshafts fully accessible in Cologne

Alexander Hall, 30th April

Brio is one important element in the mining of Romantic feeling. Not everything worked in this combination of Mendelssohn, Bruch and Schumann.

***11

Mathis Kaspar Stier takes the bassoon spotlight in Jolivet's concerto

Edward Sava-Segal, 17th April

A strong connection between Manfred Honeck and the WDR musicians was clearly palpable during the entire performance.

****1

Jukka-Pekka Saraste lacks romanticism with the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln at Salle Pleyel

Constance Clara Guibert, 17th September

Romanticism found both its source and its end at Salle Pleyel on Tuesday night: Beethoven’s Egmont overture, incidental music for a heroic drama written by Goethe, and his Fifth Symphony, where it has been said that “Fate knocks at the door” – both works composed before 1810 – and Richard Strauss’ Four Last Songs, created in 1948, when the last notes of Romanticism in music history were dying slow

**111

Quinta de Chaikovski desbordante en L’Auditori con Orozco-Estrada

Maria Sánchez, 24th February

El conjunto alemán recreó una lectura llena de matices, brillos y bailes motívicos relucientes que posibilitaron una interpretación magistral entre líneas románticas.

*****

Heute Feste feiern wie gestern und morgen

Jens Klier, 28th October

Frisch gebackener Ritter Măcelaru legt mit Di Castri, Lutosławski und Orff zündende Lunten eines in sich stimmigen Geburtstagsfeuerwerks.

****1

Volles zeitgenössisches Risiko vom WDR Sinfonieorchester

Michael Klier, 8th May

Das von Baldur Brönnimann dirigierte Programm mit Werken von Unsuk Chin, Josep Planells Schiaffino und James Diaz kann nicht immer überzeugen.

***11

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Gavin Dixon

Gavin Dixon is a writer, journalist and editor specialising in classical music. He writes for publications such as Gramophone, Classical Music and BBC Music Magazine. Gavin has a PhD on the symphonies of Alfred Schnittke and is a member of the editorial team for the “Alfred Schnittke Collected Works” edition. His website is here.