Hamburg's dazzling new concert hall is inaugurated

By Alexander Hall, 13 January 2017

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“a waterside setting to rival that of Sydney”

Reviewed at Elbphilharmonie: Grand Hall, Hamburg on 12 January 2017

Britten, Six Metamorphoses after Ovid, Op.49: Pan

Dutilleux, Mystère de l'Instant, for cymbalum, string orchestra and percussion

Cavalieri, La Pellegrina

Zimmermann, Photoptosis

Praetorius, Quam pulchra es - Motette für 5 Stimmen und Basso continuo

Liebermann, Furioso, for orchestra

Caccini, Le nuove musiche: Amarilli, mia bella

Messiaen, Turangalîla-Symphonie

Wagner, Parsifal: Prelude, Act 1

Rihm, Reminiszenz - Triptychon und Spruch in memoriam Hans Henny Jahn (Uraufführung)

Beethoven, Symphony no. 9 in D minor "Choral", Op.125: Ode to Joy finale

NDR Sinfonieorchester

Thomas Hengelbrock, Conductor

North German Radio Choir

Bavarian Radio Choir

Hanna-Elisabeth Müller, Soprano

Wiebke Lehmkuhl, Contralto

Philippe Jaroussky, Countertenor

Pavol Breslik, Tenor

Sir Bryn Terfel, Bass-baritone

Iveta Apkalna, Organ

Kalev Kuljus, Oboe

Margret Köll, Harp

Thomas Bloch, Ondes Martenot

Xie Ya-ou, Piano

Bold Mozart and Daring Bruckner from Park, Eschenbach and NDR SO

Gavin Dixon, 27th November

A strident Mozart concerto from Christopher Park, followed by an expansive but richly varied Bruckner Sixth from Eschenbach.

****1

Lisa Batiashvili and NDR Sinfonieorchester thrill in Hamburg

Jeremy Morris, 21st October

“Royal Albert Hall / Barbican / Usher Hall (delete as necessary) sold out for Sunday morning concert.” How likely is this headline in response to a normal, mid-season concert in Britain? For Hamburg, it is perfectly normal, and the crowds that thronged the Laeiszhalle, young and old, chic and casual, were not to be disappointed.

****1

NDR Elbphilharmonieorchester betört mit Elgar

Stefan Pillhofer, 16th June

Eine besondere und interessante Werkauswahl erwartete mich an diesem Abend in der Laeiszhalle. Mit der 1. Symphonie von Edward Elgar die das NDR Elbphilharmonieorchester unter der Leitung des finnischen Dirigenten Sakari Oramo spielte. Für das Violinkonzert von Benjamin Britten kam die junge norwegische Geigerin Vilde Frang als Solistin hinzu.

****1

Vasks' Vox amoris in Hamburg

Christine Arnold, 2nd October

Das NDR Sinfonieorchester bot neben Dauerbrenner Tschaikowsky eine überzeugend starke Interpretation des zeitgenössischen Komponisten Peteris Vasks.

****1

Une partie de chasse maléfique

Anne-Laure Faubert, 14th September

Pierre fondatrice de la tradition de l’opéra romantique allemand, Der Freischütz rappelle que quiconque pénètre dans la forêt entreprend une quête qui aboutit au Bien ou au Mal selon ses choix.

****1

Lobgesang in der Elbphilharmonie

Isabel Schubert, 15th January

NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, NDR Chor und der Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks brillieren unter Hengelbrock mit Mendelssohns Lobgesang in der frisch eröffneten Hamburger Elbphilharmonie.

*****

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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.

High up and high-end: Hamburg's dazzling new concert hall is inaugurated