Friday, August 15, 2025
Großes Festspielhaus, Salzburg, Austria
This Friday matinee, the first of three performances of this programme, opened with Schubert’s ‘Tragic’ Symphony, Riccardo Muti immediately establishing the nickname with a restless introduction, and certain emphases to suggest a heavy heart, the Allegro then measured, rhythms and harmony laid bare, an uncompromising approach that found the Vienna Philharmonic supremely Schubertian. The slow movement was spacious and romantic, with what seemed like full strings lustrously poetic, woodwinds in the picture, perhaps over-dogged on Muti’s part, with the Minuet and Trio respectively angular and lilting, then the Finale (without repeat), fast-paced, perhaps finding Schubert trying to outrun shadows and spectres. The enthusiastic reception and the stellar Philharmoniker response suggested Muti’s searching interpretation was well-liked in Salzburg.
The third and last of Bruckner’s Mass settings is a wonderful example of his propositions to the deity – somberly beautiful, exhilarating, deeply communicative, here given with a large, thoroughly prepared choir, and in Muti a conductor on top of the complex counterpoint, binding chorus and orchestra into a vivid complementary unit, devotional and demonstrative, with stalking rhythms and inner expression, Muti relishing Bruckner’s grand conception and ‘holy communion’ declarations, the vocal soloists excellent, and with some fine violin solos, too, the glory of this music fully revealed. Austrian Radio pulled out all the sonic stops for this one.
- Ying Fang Soprano
- Wiebke Lehmkuhl Alto
- Pavol Breslik Tenor
- William Thomas Bass
- Concert Association of the Vienna State Opera Chorus