Autumnal Strauss, then a mountain trek

By Mark Pullinger, 20 May 2017

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“We slipped on the glacier... but, in Thielemann and the Dresdners, we were in safe hands”

Reviewed at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris on 19 May 2017

Strauss R., Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs)

Strauss R., Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op.64

Renée Fleming, Soprano

Christian Thielemann, Conductor

Staatskapelle Dresden

Schumann from the inside out: Yunchan Lim and Staatskapelle Dresden

SangKwon Lee, 1st February

Yunchan Lim seldom seeks the spotlight in a reflective, conversational account of Schumann's Piano Concerto, conducted by Myung-whun Chung.

*****

High-caliber Schumann and Mahler at Dvořák’s Prague

Frank Kuznik, 14th September

Daniele Gatti and Kirill Gerstein offer fresh, invigorating takes on two warhorses with the Staatskapelle Dresden.

*****

Thielemann bids farewell to Dresden with an excellent new FroSch

Ako Imamura, 27th March

David Bösch directs a creative and thoughtful new production of Die Frau ohne Schatten at the Semperoper in Christian Thielemann's final opera as Principal Conductor.

*****

Detlev Glanert's Die Jüdin von Toledo premieres at the Semperoper

Zenaida des Aubris, 10th February

Robert Carsen stages the world premiere production of Glanert's opera, based Franz Grillparzer's 1851 play, in stringent, minimalist style.

*****

Moving singing, but missed opportunities in Dresden’s new Aida

Zoltán Szabó, 17th March

Katharina Thalbach offers a traditional staging at the Semperoper, with fine vocal performances led by Krassimira Stoyanova, Francesco Meli and Oksana Volkova.

***11

Prom 63: Explosive Rachmaninov from Yuja Wang

Stephen Pritchard, 5th September

Outstanding playing from soloist and Staatskapelle Dresden makes this a Prom to remember.

*****

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.

Autumnal Strauss, then a bracing mountain trek with the Staatskapelle Dresden in Paris