Gergiev's masterful Münchners

By Mark Thomas, 20 July 2016

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Reviewed at Royal Albert Hall, London on 18 July 2016

Ravel, Boléro

Rachmaninov, Piano Concerto no. 3 in D minor, Op.30

Liszt, Grandes Études de Paganini S 141: no. 3 in G sharp minor, "La Campanella"

Ustvolskaya, Symphony no. 3 "Jesus Messiah, Save Us!"

Strauss R., Der Rosenkavalier, Op.59: Suite

Berlioz, La Damnation de Faust, Op.24: Rákóczy March

Bach, Air on a G String, from Orchestral Suite BWV1068

Behzod Abduraimov, Piano

Munich Philharmonic Orchestra

Valery Gergiev, Conductor

Alexei Petrenko, Narrator

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

Child's play: Crumb and Strauss make unconventional bedfellows

Matthew Rye, 12th November

Zubin Mehta brought together works by George Crumb and Richard Strauss in his latest concert as the Munich Philharmonic's honorary conductor.

****1

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

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Mark Thomas

A lifelong devotee of classical music, Mark caught the bug after listening to The Planets, The Rite of Spring and Beethoven’s Fifth when he was knee-high to a grasshopper. He has degrees in non-musical subjects and currently works as a Chartered Governance Professional, but these have proved to be mere distractions from the wonders of sonatas, concertos and symphonies. He has been reviewing for Bachtrack since 2016, plays viola and violin (very shakily) and used to sing a bit (even more shakily).

Prom 4: Gergiev's masterful Munich Philharmonic and astonishing Abduraimov