★★★★☆ Crowd-pleasing snippets of JSB prove perfect showcases.

★★★☆☆ Tchaikovsky’s ‘Mozartian’ steals the spotlight in a Wolfgang-inspired programme. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Fisch's first Mahler Two is more than worth the wait.

★★★★☆ German insights put Austrian romance under microscope.

Power couple Benedetti and Elschenbroich unite in a show-stopping performance.

Schumann’s Piano Concerto has undergone something of a recording and live performance eclipse in recent years. It was once known as a “woman’s” concerto, presumably because of Clara’s advocacy, however it still runs rings around the vast majority of other Romantic piano concertos.  The work has never been a vehicle for bravura and one hurdle has always been the lack of shameless virtuosity in the soloist’s part. Jan Lisiecki’s rendition of the work is obviously “young man’s” Schumann (fair enough as he’s all of 20!) but as impressive as most of it is, much of the first movement lacks the intimate poetic ruminations (Lisiecki himself refers to these in the liner notes) that I enjoy in my favourite version with Annie Fischer (despite Klemperer’s rather bluff, emphatic accompaniment) making them sound almost perfunctory. Also, the Gramophone review refers to the Santa Cecilia orchestra’s oboe as characterful whereas I find it quite the opposite. Lisiecki handles well what can be the tricky transition from the charming Intermezzo (which he does beautifully without sounding either coy or laboured) to the finale.  The other two substantial works are rareties: Allegro  Appassionata, Op. 92 and Introduction and Allegro, Op. 134, which James Jolly breathlessly…

The final years of Herbert von Karajan’s tenure as Principal Conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic had descended into chaos; egos clashed and Karajan was moonlighting with indecent regularity in Vienna. Claudio Abbado gradually pieced goodwill back together when he was appointed as successor in 1989, his collegiate approach contrasting noticeably with Karajan’s despotic tendencies. Abbado’s valedictory appearance with the orchestra in May 2013 thus marked the end of an era, an occasion wistfully celebrated in this latest release from Berlin Philharmoniker Recordings. Two works, which Abbado had recorded previously, were on the programme: Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, which turned out to be a characteristically shrewd piece of programming. Abbado’s earlier Midsummer Night’s Dream (also with BPO) might have included more numbers, but the chimerical gleam of those hanging-in-the-air opening woodwind chords gives notice that here is something very special. The fleeting, skipping Scherzo, with its sinuous harmonic sleights-of-hand, is as fantastical as the triadic, muscular brass writing of the Wedding March is rooted in the earth. Deborah York and Stella Doufexis, and the choir, balance well-enunciated weight against suggestive fancy. Abbado’s perspective on Berlioz is far removed from Bernstein’s blood and guts cinematic view –…

Composer Sean O’Boyle’s Goulburn Concerto pairs the talents of the pros with the enthusiasm of youth.

Is a conductor akin to a god? Some reflections on intelligent design lead inexorably from the Deity to Herbert von Karajan.

Finnish researchers have examined how concert hall acoustics can influence the emotional response of a listener.

Irish conductor Eimear Noone is harnessing virtual reality technology to make living room Maestros.

In a revealing conversation, the conductor shares his ideas on life and music making. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in