Brahms, Schmidt: Vienna Philharmonic/Bychkov *****
Royal Albert Hall, 10th September 2015
Imagine the musical love child of Strauss and Bruckner: luscious strings, wind chorales, hints of Austrian Ländler, opulent orchestration. This provides an indication of the sound world of Franz Schmidt, whose Second Symphony finally made its Proms debut last night, 102 years after its première. Semyon Bychkov, who has championed Schmidt’s Second in Leipzig, Rome and Vienna, was at the helm. And what better orchestra to persuade us of its merits than the Vienna Philharmonic, the orchestra in which Schmidt himself played cello? An utterly ravishing performance bowled me over.
Semyon Bychkov
© BBC | Chris Christodoulou
Read the full review on Bachtrack.