Kent Nagano's farewell to Hamburg: Nante and Brahms in dialogue

Kent Nagano

Kent Nagano conducts the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg and Audi Jugendchorakademie

By Mengguang Huang, 29 June 2025

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“enveloping the audience in a ritualistic, overlapping sonic cloud”

Reviewed at Elbphilharmonie: Grand Hall, Hamburg on 29 June 2025

Brahms, Symphony no. 4 in E minor, Op.98

Nante, Symphony "Anahata"

Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg

Kent Nagano, Conductor

Mojca Erdmann, Soprano

Hanno Müller-Brachmann, Baritone

Audi Jugendchorakademie

Frauenliebe und -sterben: Kratzer’s triple bill at Staatsoper Hamburg

Mengguang Huang, 15th April

Director Tobias Kratzer engineers a haunting pasticcio of Schumann, Bartók and Zemlinsky, tracing the domestic sphere’s shift from romantic surrender to the blood-soaked secrets of a century-spanning house.

****1

Fast Forward: Hamburg Ballet’s mixed bill proves a mixed success

Vikki Jane Vile, 22nd February

All that glistens... the world premiere of Xie Xin’s The Moon in the Ocean is the highlight of a mixed bill programme spanning 90 years of choreography.

***11

Vampires, Disney and Donald Trump: Monster’s Paradise in Hamburg

Kevin W Ng, 1st February

Olga Neuwirth and Elfriede Jelinek take on Donald Trump in their latest operatic collaboration.

****1

Unsuk Chin's opera Die dunkle Seite des Mondes premieres in Hamburg

Mengguang Huang, 31st May

At Staatsoper Hamburg, Unsuk Chin’s new opera The Dark Side of the Moon immerses audiences in an hypnotic, introspective journey, where dreams, science and psyche collide in a rigorously crafted, thought-provoking spectacle.

****1

5-star musicianship in Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie

Simon Thompson, 6th April

Our writer is dazzled by the venue, but the music that the Hamburgers play in it proves pretty dazzling too; Martinů’s Double Concerto is a showcase for both the players and the hall.

*****

Slow Burn marks a new era for Hamburg Ballet

Vikki Jane Vile, 10th January

The rather imposing proposition of taking over the reigns from John Neumeier has fallen to Demis Volpi, who has brought fresh and explosive pieces into the repertoire at Hamburg.

***11

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Mengguang Huang

Mengguang Huang is a Hamburg-based project manager in the construction industry. With a strong passion for classical music, he was introduced to the world of early music during his time in the UK, where he developed a particular fondness for renaissance and Baroque vocal music. Driven by his love for this genre, he now makes it a priority to attend major Baroque opera productions and concerts across Western Europe whenever possible, continuing to deepen his appreciation for this rich musical tradition.