Child's play: Crumb and Strauss make unconventional bedfellows

By Matthew Rye, 14 November 2021

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“Mehta gleefully gave in to this showy, even show-offy side of its personality”

Reviewed at Isarphilharmonie, Munich on 12 November 2021

Crumb, Ancient Voices of Children

Strauss R., Sinfonia domestica, Op.53

Mojca Erdmann, Soprano

Soloists of the Tölzer Boys Choir

Marie-Luise Modersohn, Oboe

Teresa Zimmermann, Harp

Sebastian Förschl, Percussion

Michael Leopold, Percussion

Jörg Hannabach, Percussion

Munich Philharmonic Orchestra

Zubin Mehta, Conductor

At home in Hamburg: Munich Philharmonic at the Elbphilharmonie

Mengguang Huang, 6th February

Lahav Shani offers fresh perspectives on Debussy, Mozart and Schoenberg, favouring structural clarity and youthful energy over traditional late-Romantic weight and atmospheric suggestion.

***11

Zubin Mehta brings the Munich Philharmonic to Carnegie Hall for Brahms

Edward Sava-Segal, 3rd February

Yefim Bronfman reunites with his old collaborator for Brahms' First Piano Concerto, reinforcing the qualities that exemplify him as a great chamber music player.

****1

A proficient but flawed opening at Dvořák’s Prague

Frank Kuznik, 8th September

Myung-whun Chung and Pablo Ferrández shine separately, but never quite get on the same page.

***11

Grand Romantic statements from Gergiev at the Enescu Festival

Edward Sava-Segal, 6th September

Two giants of the Romantic repertoire that were met with disdain by Eduard Hanslick at their premieres are given persuasive readings in Bucharest.

****1

Technicolor Shostakovich and Brahms from the Munich Philharmonic

Laurence Vittes, 3rd September

A full frontal assault by Valery Gergiev on Brahms' First Symphony and Shostakovich's First Cello Concerto in explosive performances.

****1

Distinctive Wagner and Brahms from Nelsons and the Munich Philharmonic

Zoltán Szabó, 15th May

In the outstanding acoustics of the Philharmonie im Gasteig, the occasion proved both orchestra and conductor as exceptional interpreters.

*****

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Matthew Rye

Matthew read music at Oxford and worked in music journalism for 30 years as a writer, critic and editor. He wrote numerous programme and CD booklet notes, spent 13 years as a Daily Telegraph critic, worked at BBC Music Magazine and was reviews editor of The Strad. He also wrote for The Wagner Journal and Opera and blogged at ferneklang.blogspot.co.uk. He was general editor of 1001 Classical Recordings You Must Hear Before You Die (Cassell Illustrated, 2007) and was the author of a new series of eBooks, Masterpieces of Music (Erudition).

Child's play: Crumb and Strauss make unconventional bedfellows in Munich