The Energy of Subtlety: Otello at the Wiener Staatsoper
The Staatsoper presents Jonas Kaufmann’s Otello in Adrian Noble’s production. A theatrical Otello, all restraint, subtle, extremely strong, perfectly calibrated — and that may…
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Stories from Pulsations.art magazine.
Two Storms in D Minor
At the KKL in Lucerne, Alexandre Kantorow, Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra shape an evening in a single key, from Brahms to Shostakovich.
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Mahler’s Ninth in Lucerne — Kirill Petrenko and the Berlin Philharmonic
Genesis of Mahler’s Ninth in Toblach, at the heart of the Dolomites At the Lucerne Festival, Kirill Petrenko and the Berlin Philharmonic delivered a performance of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony as unrelenting as it was vertiginous. No tears, no patho, only an architecture of oblivion, hewn from shadow and fire. The conductor, with surgical precision, summoned […]
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Encounters at the Edge of the North — Sibelius Festival 2025 in Lahti
Statue of Sibelius, Loviisa, Finland The 2025 Sibelius Festival in Lahti unfolded as a triptych tracing the composer’s early symphonic voice. Three concerts, three visions of emergence: « Kullervo », « Lemminkäinen », and the « First Symphony », each set in resonant dialogue with Mahler, Wagner, and Grieg. This year also marked Hannu Lintu’s official debut as chief conductor of […]
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Boulez and Mahler: Mirror of the Worlds — Riccardo Chailly in Lucerne
Pierre Boulez (1925-2016) © DR Under the baton of Riccardo Chailly, the opening concert of the 2025 Lucerne Festival unfolded as a true aesthetic manifesto: a discreet homage to Boulez, followed by a journey into Mahler’s inner world with « Rückert-Lieder » of sovereign restraint sung by Elīna Garanča, and an orchestral vertigo with the Symphony No. […]
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Daniel Harding: an evening of contrasts
Fleur Barron (mezzo-soprano), Andrew Staples (tenor) and Daniel Harding conducting Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde. © BR / Astrid Ackermann Two works that…
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A Symphony of Contrasts and Colors — Rouvali and Gerstein at the Concertgebouw
Santtu-Matias Rouvali and the RCO (© Eduardus Lee) An evening of contrasts and orchestral mastery at the Concertgebouw. Santtu-Matias Rouvali led the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in a striking program featuring Anna Clyne’s Fractured Time, Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto with Kirill Gerstein, and Sibelius’s monumental Fifth Symphony. A performance of breathtaking clarity, intensity, and poetic grandeur. […]
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ORCHESTRE DE LA SUISSE ROMANDE / DEBUSSY – STRAVINSKY – SIBELIUS: BETWEEN CLARITY AND INCANDESCENCE
The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and a Rite of Spring for the anthologies (photo: Magali Dougados) Debussy, Stravinsky, Sibelius: three aesthetics, three sets…
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Schoenberg and Mahler at the Concertgebouw with Klaus Mäkelä
Klaus Mäkelä conducts the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in a remarkable evening featuring Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht and Mahler’s First Symphony. Mäkelä’s interpretations showcased his dynamic range and emotional depth, leaving a powerful impression on the audience. (C) Eduardus Lee September, 19, 2024 Het Concertgebouw Klaus Mäkelä Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra PROGRAM: SCHOENBERG, Verklärte nacht MAHLER, Symphony n°1, […]
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Sibelius Festival 2024, Part III — Dalia Stasevska in Lahti
Masterful conclusion: Dalia Stasevska explores the depths of the most complex Sibelius’s Symphonies A demanding program of complex and still enigmatic symphonies, masterfully interpreted by Dalia Stasevska to conclude her cycle of Sibelius’s symphonies. Photo credits: Pulsations Date and Venue: August, 31st, Sibelius Hall, Lahti (Finland) Conductor: Dalia STASEVSKA Orchestra: The Lahti Symphony Orchestra (Sinfonia […]
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