Karajan Academy rounds off Musikfest Berlin with Grisey and Neuwirth

By Liam Cagney, 20 September 2019

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

“neo-classical music with Botox and a facelift”

Reviewed at Philharmonie: Kammermusiksaal, Berlin on 18 September 2019

Neuwirth, Aello – ballet mécanomorphe

Grisey, Quatre chants pour franchir le seuil

Juliet Fraser, Soprano

Emmanuel Pahud, Flute

Karajan-Akademie der Berliner Philharmoniker

Susanna Mälkki, Conductor

Goldene Zwanziger und ihre Schattenseiten mit Marie Jacquot in Berlin

Michael Vieth, 16th February

Von Eisler zu Weill: eine stimmige Programmfolge überzeugte beim Online-Festival der Berliner Philharmoniker

****1

Innocence: Saariaho’s final opera receives New York premiere

Kurt Gottschalk, 6th April

At the Metropolitan Opera, Innocence proves a gripping and perhaps divisive piece which feels real because it is a reflection of our reality, with no realistic hope of finding peace.

*****

The starry trio of Davidsen-Hilley-Mälkki saves Tristan und Isolde

Maria Sánchez, 12th January

A highly unbalanced premiere, its opportunity to become one of the Liceu's historic productions prevented by the contrast between dramaturgy and music.

****1

Musical tributes to Festival d’Aix as it wins Birgit Nilsson Prize

Peter Quantrill, 21st October

Pierre Audi is remembered in words and music as the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence receives $1m – the richest prize in classical music – at Stockholm’s Konserthuset.

Made in America: Mälkki, Josefowicz and the LSO in a fine showcase

Roy Westbrook, 18th May

Julia Perry and two Europeans exiled to America feature in Susanna Mälkki's London Symphony Orchestra programme, featuring Leila Josefowicz as soloist in Stravinsky's Violin Concerto.

****1

Lise Davidsen thrills in Metropolitan Opera’s Fidelio revival

Robert Levine, 7th March

Exceptional singing enlivens a flawed production, which takes liberties with the tone and tenor of Beethoven's sole opera.

****1

More reviews...

Liam Cagney

Liam is a writer and musicologist based between Ireland and Berlin. He writes on contemporary and Twentieth Century music for Gramophone, and has also written for the Telegraph, the Irish Times, the TLS, Van, and other publications. He holds a PhD from City, University of London and is co-editor of the Oxford Handbook of Spectral Music. His Twitter handle is @LiamCagney.