Solid-gold music-making as Haitink makes his UK farewell

By Mark Thomas, 04 September 2019

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“Haitink's masterful unfolding of Bruckner’s large canvasses presented the composer’s case perfectly”

Reviewed at Royal Albert Hall, London on 3 September 2019

Beethoven, Piano Concerto no. 4 in G major, Op.58

Schubert, Impromptu no. 2 in A flat major, D.935

Bruckner, Symphony no. 7 in E major, WAB 107

Emanuel Ax, Piano

Vienna Philharmonic

Bernard Haitink, Conductor

Shared language and living history: Zubin Mehta and the Vienna Phil

Chanda VanderHart, 19th March

Zubin Mehta, Pinchas Zukerman and the Vienna Philharmonic meet in repertoire they know intimately, illuminating it through mutual understanding.

*****

Vienna Philharmonic closes Carnegie residency

Edward Sava-Segal, 1st March

Andris Nelsons pairs Richard Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra with Sibelius’ Second Symphony to conclude the Vienna Philharmonic's latest Carnegie Hall residency.

****1

Contemplation and exuberance: Vienna Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall

Susan Stempleski, 28th February

Andris Nelsons conducts the Vienna Philharmonic in the New York premiere of a solemn, modernist work paired with two high-spirited symphonies from the 18th and 19th centuries.

****1

A vanished Old World with the Vienna Philharmonic in Hamburg

Mengguang Huang, 20th January

A Vienna Philharmonic evening conjures a vanished world: Strauss’ muscular drama and intimate humour, Haydn’s inward gravity and a graceful waltz to close.

****1

The Vienna Philharmonic explores Central Europe with Jakub Hrůša

Chanda VanderHart, 11th December

At the Konzerthaus, the Vienna Philharmonic travels across the Austrian borders with Jakub Hrůša into the varied sound worlds of Hungary, Bohemia and Moravia.

****1

Thielemann and the Vienna Philharmonic’s Bruckner 5 in Seoul

SangKwon Lee, 20th November

A tightly focused and cohesive Bruckner Fifth Symphony at the Seoul Arts Center as Christian Thielemann and the Vienna Philharmonic continue their Asian tour in compelling fashion.

*****

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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 60: solid-gold music-making as Bernard Haitink makes his UK farewell