Bavarian Radio photo from rehearsals for yesterday’s and this evening’s concerts
Friday, March 13, 2026
Herkulessaal, Munich
The last time I heard Sebastian Weigle conduct he was replacing Zubin Mehta in Berlin. This time in Munich he was stepping in for Franz Welser-Möst. Once again the repertoire was unchanged, admirably so in these examples of relative rarities.
The Schubert orchestrations – by Liszt, Reger and Strauss, there was also one number with harp alone – were delightful in their appreciation of Schubert’s craft, sung mellifluously by Julien Prégardien, urgent drama added for Erlkönig, and with An die musik as a melodious encore (using Reger’s scoring), the tenor bringing shape and sensitivity to its time-honoured contours.
A Faust Symphony in Three Character Sketches after Goethe followed the interval, music that enjoys Liszt’s strong and distinctive ideas if suffering formal weaknesses and an excess of repetition (yet there are notable recordings from Ansermet, Beecham, Bernstein (twice), Chailly, Masur, Muti, and Solti), the ‘Faust’ first movement in particular, which needed a greater sense of his brooding thoughts, volatility and heroics for all the musicality on offer, which served the purity of ‘Gretchen’ very well, although ‘Mephistopheles’ wasn’t the last word regarding devilry or mocking (motifs from the previous movements returning). No, the last word(s) are found in the ‘Chorus mysticus’, Prégardien now singing with ardour, the gentlemen of the Bavarian Radio Chorus ensuring a celestial/transcendental ending to this near-seventy-five-minute performance.
“Unfortunately, Franz Welser-Möst has had to cancel his participation in the concerts on March 12 and 13 for personal reasons. We are delighted that Sebastian Weigle will be stepping in, with the programme remaining unchanged.” [BR]
Franz Schubert
“Ganymed”, D 544
Orchestration: Richard Strauss (no. Op. AV. 187)
Franz Schubert
“Im Abendrot”, D 799
Orchestration: Max Reger
Franz Schubert
“Der Vater mit dem Kind”, D 906
With harp accompaniment based on the original piano part
Franz Schubert
“Erlkönig”, D 328
Orchestration: Franz Liszt
Franz Schubert
“Du bist die Ruh”, D 776
Orchestration: Max Reger
Interval
Franz Liszt
“A Faust Symphony” in three character pictures for tenor, male choir and orchestra
Performers
Sebastian Weigle conductor
Julien Prégardien tenor
Bavarian Radio Chorus
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks