Revelatory Brahms: The Gewandhaus Orchestra at the Barbican

By Sam Wigglesworth, 01 November 2013

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Reviewed at Barbican Hall, London on 23 October 2013

Brahms, Piano Concerto no. 2 in B flat major, Op.83

Brahms, Symphony no. 2 in D major, Op.73

Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra

Riccardo Chailly, Conductor

Arcadi Volodos, Piano

Isabelle Faust shines, Nelsons and the Gewandhaus disappoint

David Karlin, 26th August

The German violinist gives us plenty of Czech brio in Dvořák; conductor and orchestra display many good qualities but fail to thrill.

**111

Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk at Oper Leipzig

Mark Pullinger, 25th May

Two notable debuts dominate Oper Leipzig's notable Lady Macbeth revival: Kristine Opolais as Katerina and Andris Nelsons in the pit.

****1

Total Shostakovich in Leipzig

Mark Pullinger, 24th May

The combined forces of the Gewandhaus and Boston Symphony unite under Andris Nelsons for a searing Leningrad Symphony, while the Quatuor Danel tackles the string quartets.

*****

Star conductor: Blomstedt returns to the Leipzig Gewandhaus

Zenaida des Aubris, 13th November

Herbert Blomstedt conducts Schubert and Berwald... and picks up a medal on his return to the Leipzig Gewandhaus.

*****

Spellbinding Parsifal caps Oper Leipzig's massive Wagner 22 Festival

Ako Imamura, 14th July

Ulf Schirmer bows out as General Music Director as the last of Wagner's 13 operas completes a successful Festival Wagner 22 in Leipzig.

****1

Sublime Strauss from Nelsons and the Gewandhausorchester

Dominic Lowe, 9th May

A visit to London from Nelsons is always an occasion. The first of two programmes dedicated to Strauss demonstrated why the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig is among the best in the world.

****1

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Sam Wigglesworth

Sam Wigglesworth contributed reviews to Bachtrack from 2012 to 2014. He studied at King's College London and, after a brief period producing concerts at St John's Smith Square, began working at Faber Music in 2014. He was Artistic Director of the Principal Sound Festival in 2016 and 2018.