<Translated from Danish automatically>
It was clear that the Royal Danish Orchestra (Det Kongelige Kapel) had been looking forward to last Friday's season opening concert. The musicians had not, as usual, taken their places in the "pit," but instead, and well in advance, had taken the stage (where during this period one can experience a hitman riding around on a three-wheeled child's bicycle in Verdi's opera Rigoletto). And they seemed at least as expectant as the audience.
There was every reason for this as well. The concert featured a world premiere by the 43-year-old Austrian composer Johannes Maria Staud, a visit from the outstanding Swedish mezzo-soprano Anna Larsson and — after the intermission — Tchaikovsky's grand Fifth Symphony, conducted by the orchestra's incoming chief conductor, the 53-year-old Russian Alexander Vedernikov, who a few weeks ago could be experienced in Odense with an eminent performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
The world premiere was an orchestral work of approximately fifteen minutes' duration. Staud has titled the ambitious piece "Stromab" (Downstream), which gave the orchestra an opportunity to flex all its musical muscles. The work is a commission for the Royal Danish Orchestra and is inspired by Algernon Blackwood’s short story "The Willows" — allegedly one of the most beautiful and timeless horror stories of all time. However, the horror in the Austrian's well-structured score was not of a character that made the small hairs on the back of the neck stand up.
On the other hand, one could feel shivers of delight hearing Anna Larsson sing selected songs by Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss. I have experienced her numerous times on DVD, where her interpretations of Mahler under the leadership of the late maestro Claudio Abbado, in particular, have become legendary. Neither her appearance, characterized by a mixture of authority and sweetness, nor her voice disappointed, even though she was "run over" a couple of times by the orchestra, where Vedernikov probably should have dampened the brass and percussion slightly.
After the intermission, things began dramatically when the audience was suddenly ushered out of the building. Fortunately, it was merely a false (fire) alarm, and after just a few minutes, the musical drama could continue with Vedernikov's interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s great Fifth — a four-movement work that any Russian maestro with respect for his country's proud musical traditions knows like the back of his hand.
Vedernikov conducted it without a score or baton, letting his hands speak instead. Movement after movement, it also became a demonstration of the orchestra's high level across all sections. As an illustration of the ensemble's international character, one need only highlight a couple of the woodwinds: Australian Rixon Thomas's beautiful playing on the English horn (in Mahler) and German Juliana Koch's striking oboe contribution in the Tchaikovsky symphony. A strong "head start" to Vedernikov's work out on Dokøen.
Source.
It was clear that the Royal Danish Orchestra (Det Kongelige Kapel) had been looking forward to last Friday's season opening concert. The musicians had not, as usual, taken their places in the "pit," but instead, and well in advance, had taken the stage (where during this period one can experience a hitman riding around on a three-wheeled child's bicycle in Verdi's opera Rigoletto). And they seemed at least as expectant as the audience.
There was every reason for this as well. The concert featured a world premiere by the 43-year-old Austrian composer Johannes Maria Staud, a visit from the outstanding Swedish mezzo-soprano Anna Larsson and — after the intermission — Tchaikovsky's grand Fifth Symphony, conducted by the orchestra's incoming chief conductor, the 53-year-old Russian Alexander Vedernikov, who a few weeks ago could be experienced in Odense with an eminent performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
The world premiere was an orchestral work of approximately fifteen minutes' duration. Staud has titled the ambitious piece "Stromab" (Downstream), which gave the orchestra an opportunity to flex all its musical muscles. The work is a commission for the Royal Danish Orchestra and is inspired by Algernon Blackwood’s short story "The Willows" — allegedly one of the most beautiful and timeless horror stories of all time. However, the horror in the Austrian's well-structured score was not of a character that made the small hairs on the back of the neck stand up.
On the other hand, one could feel shivers of delight hearing Anna Larsson sing selected songs by Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss. I have experienced her numerous times on DVD, where her interpretations of Mahler under the leadership of the late maestro Claudio Abbado, in particular, have become legendary. Neither her appearance, characterized by a mixture of authority and sweetness, nor her voice disappointed, even though she was "run over" a couple of times by the orchestra, where Vedernikov probably should have dampened the brass and percussion slightly.
After the intermission, things began dramatically when the audience was suddenly ushered out of the building. Fortunately, it was merely a false (fire) alarm, and after just a few minutes, the musical drama could continue with Vedernikov's interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s great Fifth — a four-movement work that any Russian maestro with respect for his country's proud musical traditions knows like the back of his hand.
Vedernikov conducted it without a score or baton, letting his hands speak instead. Movement after movement, it also became a demonstration of the orchestra's high level across all sections. As an illustration of the ensemble's international character, one need only highlight a couple of the woodwinds: Australian Rixon Thomas's beautiful playing on the English horn (in Mahler) and German Juliana Koch's striking oboe contribution in the Tchaikovsky symphony. A strong "head start" to Vedernikov's work out on Dokøen.
Source.
Cornucopia at the Opera. Alexander Vedernikov gets a head start leading the Royal Danish Orchestra
Peter DŰRRFELD, Kristeligt Dagblad, September 27, 2017
