Saturday, September 12, 2026
Berliner Philharmonie, Herbert-von-Karajan-Straße, Berlin
Returned from its latest tour, the Berliner Philharmoniker welcomed one of its own, Brett Dean, once a viola-player in the orchestra’s ranks, and, with his music at the high-end of quality, he has branched into conducting, baton-less, and is making a pretty good fist of it. This concert of mostly his own music was a winner, opening with Conversations with Schumann (premiered just two nights ago) suffused with Schumann’s music tastefully scored (chamber forces) and integrated into Dean’s own music as he explores the complex psyche of a much-admired fellow-creator. There’s a soprano part, as there is for And once I played Ophelia, in which Jennifer France, having done her Schumann turn, was sensational as Ophelia, especially in the demanding stratospheric pitches, unflinching in this intense work during which some of the string-writing reminded of Psycho, and there’s a cinematic quality to Colin Matthews’s opulent orchestration of ‘The Engulfed Cathedral’, one of Debussy’s Preludes for piano, ravishing in this version and appreciated as such by the Berliners and Dean. Finally, Dean’s Beggars and Angels, a vivid large-orchestra conception of quick changes, a thriller of closely woven textures, dynamic and virtuosic, a compelling substantial score combining length, character and excellence.
Brett Dean Conversations with Schumann
And once I played Ophelia
Claude Debussy La Cathédrale engloutie (orchestrated Colin Matthews)
Brett Dean Beggars and Angels
“Brett Dean played the viola with the Berliner Philharmoniker for 14 years before embarking on a highly successful career as a composer. He returns in 2026/27 as Composer in Residence, presenting not only his music but also himself as a conductor: in his Conversations with Schumann, Dean explores the Romantic composer’s complex inner life; And once I played Ophelia is a portrait of Hamlet’s beloved, while Beggars and Angels draws its power from the contrast between earthly and heavenly beings.”
BP/DCH