Catégorie : Orchestra
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Contemporary approaches to Beethoven’s Seventh: the examples of Kristiina Poska and Joe Hisaichi
Since the genuine paradigm shift brought about by the emergence of historically informed performance, significant changes have also taken place in the interpretation of music from the Classical period onwards. Beethoven was one of the first composers whose work was affected by these changing practices. This culminated in performances such as those by Frans Brüggen…
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Bruno Walter, a Conductor of Life: a conversation with Rémy Louis
To mark the 150th anniversary of Bruno Walter’s birth on September 15, 1876, Warner Classics is reissuing all of the conductor’s recordings for HMV and Graphophone between 1924 and 1939, beautifully restored by Christophe Hénault from Studio Art et Son. To look back at this major period—undoubtedly the most striking and foundational of Walter’s career—I…
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Herbert Blomstedt and the smile of Haydn Variations
BR Klassik, the Bavarian Radio label, has just released a recording of Brahms’s Variations on a Theme by Haydn, performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Herbert Blomstedt. The BRSO is undoubtedly the finest orchestra in the world. With an ethereal texture whilst revealing a dizzying depth of sound, the ensemble’s tonal palette…
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Seven masterpieces composed by women
I’d like to invite you to explore seven works by female composers, each of which I’ll recommend alongside a reference recording. This article is therefore as much about discovering new compositions as it is about discussing interpretation. Hélène de Montgeroult (1764-1836) Piano Sonata No.9 in F-Sharp Minor, Op.5 No.3 A prominent figure in the salons…
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Furtwangler conducts Wagner
The original podcast (narration in French, English and German subtitles) When people talk about Furtwängler, a certain cliché springs to mind for far too many music lovers. Furtwängler is supposedly a ponderous, slow conductor, embodying the Germanic tradition and a sweeping, extreme expressiveness. He is thus often compared to Otto Klemperer and contrasted with Toscanini.…
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The identity of a choreographic work put to the test by French technique and the Vaganova method
French version, following by the english one L’identité d’une œuvre chorégraphique à l’épreuve de la technique française et de la méthode Vaganova. Par Mihn Mabut « Alors que je ne cherche qu’à offrir le meilleur spectacle possible […] il m’arrive souvent d’introduire quelques nouvelles combinaisons de pirouettes ou des sauts que je juge plus impressionnants que…
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My favorite 2025 recordings
What records will you remember from 2025? Which ones made a particular impression on me, and which ones will go down in history? Here’s a brief overview of the recording year that’s just gone by, backed up by reviews and personal opinions – all subjective, of course! Let’s start with the piano. Yunchan Lim has…
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Furtwangler conducts Beethoven
The original podcast (narration in French, English and German subtitles) After trying to show what made Furtwangler’s Brahms so special, I’d like to talk to you about the conductor’s vision of Beethoven’s symphonies, and why this vision, even if it’s a purely personal opinion, is as brilliant as it is problematic. Not in the sense…
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Kristiina Poska continues her reference recording of Beethoven’s symphonies with the Flanders Symphony Orchestra
Kristiina Poska, conducting the Flanders Symphony Orchestra, seems to have embarked on the greatest recording of Beethoven’s symphonies since Frans Brüggen, confirming this once again with a new opus featuring Symphonies Nos. 5 and 8. The first volume was devoted to Symphonies Nos. 1 and 7. It offered a brilliant interpretation of the ‘Apotheosis of…
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A refined Berlioz under the baton of Klaus Mäkelä, albeit still a little forced
It’s no secret that if there’s one name that’s been on the rise for several years now, it’s that of Klaus Mäkelä. An absolute prodigy, a pupil of Jorma Panula, an orchestral sound of total fullness, a joy no doubt linked to something intuitive, but do we really need to go over all that again?…