Tchaikovsky/Elgar: Staatskapelle Berlin/Barenboim ****
Royal Festival Hall, 21st April 2015
London has been fortunate to host two great Berlin orchestras exploring repertoire unfamiliar to them in recent months. In February, the Berliner Philharmoniker dipped its toes into icy Sibelian waters, while this evening the Staatskapelle ventured onto Elgar’s Malvern Hills. Both were in safe hands, led by guides familiar with the symphonic terrain. While the Philharmoniker does not yet sound entirely at home in Sibelius, the Staatskapelle – in a staggering rendition of the Second Symphony – embraced Elgar as one of its own.
Daniel Barenboim and Staatskapelle Berlin
© Belinda Lawley
Read the full review on Bachtrack.