Prom 47: Earthbound Bach and uneven Bruckner from the Gewandhaus

By Sebastian Scotney, 26 August 2019

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“Schönheit’s interpretation of the piece seemed timid, dutiful, maybe even overawed”

Reviewed at Royal Albert Hall, London on 23 August 2019

Bach, Fantasia in G minor, BWV 542

Bach, Cantata No. 147 ‘Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben’, BWV 147 – Chorale ‘Jesus bleibet meine Freude’ (transcr. Schmidt- Mannheim

Bach, Prelude in E flat major, BWV 552

Bach, Chorale Prelude ‘Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme’, BWV 645

Bach, Fugue in E flat major, BWV 552

Bruckner, Symphony No. 8 in C minor (1890 version, ed. Haas)

Michael Schönheit, Organ

Gewandhausorchester Leipzig

Andris Nelsons, Conductor

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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Sebastian Scotney

Sebastian has written about music for the Daily Telegraph, Prospect, Arts Industry and the Bulletin in Brussels. He has been a professor at the Royal College of Music and has recorded a CD of the Mozart clarinet quintet with the Maggini Quartet.