Originally announced with Gustavo Dudamel, the programme ultimately fell to Paavo Järvi — and what a stroke of luck. His conducting, as always, was energetic, theatrical, and deeply informed, turning two symphonies into narratives that felt almost operatic.
Mozart – Symphony No. 38 in D major “Prague”
From the opening Adagio, Järvi sets a dramatic tone that reminds us Mozart was first and foremost a man of the stage. The pauses, the sudden bursts, the interplay of winds and strings — everything breathes theatre. The Allegro unfolds like a curtain rising on Don Giovanni, written the same year; the Andante sings like an aria without words, its phrasing supple and conversational, echoing the intimacy of Le Nozze di Figaro. And the Presto finale leaps forward with the sparkle and precision of a comic ensemble. Järvi makes the orchestra sound like a cast — articulate, responsive, alive.
Bruckner – Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major “Romantic”
After the interval, the scale changes — but Järvi keeps the drama flowing. He treats Bruckner’s Fourth not as a static monument but as a four-act drama. The first movement, with its noble horn calls, feels like a Wagnerian prelude — think Lohengrin’s shimmering horizons. The Andante quasi Allegretto becomes an interlude of introspection, almost like a scene change between acts. The Scherzo, driven by its hunting rhythms, has the muscular energy of a stylised ballet, while the Trio offers a lyrical tenderness that could be a duet. And the Finale? Järvi shapes it as a true dénouement: tension, release, and radiant closure.
The orchestra is magnificent: lower strings resounding in full splendour, deep and sonorous, while the woodwinds — that exquisite small harmony — add flashes of colour and refinement, like shafts of light piercing the orchestral mass. Everything breathes; nothing drags. It’s Bruckner as living theatre.
A concert that confirmed two things: the BRSO’s exceptional form and Paavo Järvi’s gift for making symphonic music speak with operatic immediacy. Mozart sang, Bruckner spoke — and the audience listened as if to a drama without words.
Programme & Artists
- Conductor: Paavo Järvi (replacing Gustavo Dudamel)
- Orchestra: Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
- Venue: Isarphilharmonie HP8
Programme
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 38 in D major, KV 504 “Prague”
Adagio – Allegro / Andante / Finale. Presto - Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major “Romantic” (Second version, 1878–1881)
Bewegt, nicht zu schnell / Andante quasi Allegretto / Scherzo – Trio / Finale
