Between 23-27 April 2024, Jakub Hrůša led the Bamberg Symphony on a four-date US tour, including concerts at Boston’s Symphony Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York. The programme featured Wagner’s Lohengrin Prelude, Brahms’ Symphony No. 3, Schumann’s Piano Concerto, and closed with Wagner’s Overture to Tannhäuser.
Reviewers commended Hrůša for the glorious performances:
“Jakub Hrůša… and the Bamberg Symphony dazzle at Carnegie Hall…two stunning overtures by Wagner…From the very first notes to the last, it was evident that Hrůša, with his astute sense of structure, and his orchestra are a perfect fit…the conductor elicit[ed] a magical, transporting performance…[a] faultless blend of ensemble throughout…a glorious account of Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor…a rendering marked by great poetic feeling and dedication…Hrůša and the Bambergers delivered a majestic reading [of Wagner’s Overture to Tannhäuser], combining all the music’s power and airy delicacy as seamlessly as one could expect” – Bachtrack, 5*
“I came to hear a program of music I have long loved, but fell in love with the orchestra as well. What an array of excellent players! What an impassioned, intelligent conductor!… With this orchestra, [the Prelude to Act I of Lohengrin] left an indelible mark of deep beauty…playing full of luscious sound, drama and personality…Huge cheering ensued, along with a standing ovation, which set a pattern for the whole evening…sumptuous orchestral playing.. the audience did not want to leave despite the late hour…” – The Boston Musical Intelligencer
“A memorable evening… Throughout, the Bambergers’ playing demonstrated impeccable balances… refulgent tonal warmth, and bold dynamic contrasts… climacterics were full-bodied and weighty, yet miraculously lucid… this was music of real vitality and revelation… Hrůša ensured that…the ensemble’s blend was faultless… The Prelude to Act 1 from Lohengrin unfolded with a compelling sense of shape and a kaleidoscopic array of colors… Both [encores] were dispatched with an electrifying sense of ownership that, per the night’s remarkable simpatico between conductor, orchestra, and repertoire, was downright thrilling.” – The Classical Review
“Captivating flair… poise and sensitivity… With the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra [he] paints musical pictures infused with vivid details and flourishing strokes. Under his guidance, wind and string phrases rise out of the texture, coil in delicate shapes, and fade with breathless ease… what made this reading one of the finest of the season was the natural ease with which Hrůša drew out the music’s wistful lyricism and surging ecstasies. The opening statements blazed with a fiery panache… he shaped every melodic curve with a sculptor’s eye for detail” – The Arts Fuse
Hrůša and the Bamberg Symphony’s next touring engagement will be at the 2024 Edinburgh International Festival for a four-concert residency.
Photo Credit: Ian Ehm
