Press review for all-Strauss concert at Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele

“Good communication [with the orchestra] is visible, audible, and tangible…”
“… Inkinen conducts with clarity and such vitality that his left hand nearly knocked over one of the microphones. And the orchestra plays with confidence and quality. The introductory leitmotif shifts through a wide variety of colorings in a performance that enmeshes the title character in a gripping tension between closeness and distance. The most convincing moments come in the middle section – a tender love scene in which the orchestra’s winds, above all the solo oboist, shine beautifully.”
“As always with this composer, the music contains elements of kitsch. You have to either like them or at least accept them. Inkinen ensures they don’t dominate too much, and overall, the Finnish conductor very reliably finds what is essential in Richard Strauss: a good balance between pathos and sobriety, between passion and precision.”
“… the symphonic interludes from the opera “Intermezzo” are (…) presented to great effect. And “Till Eulenspiegel’s Lustige Streiche“ not only give the concert a convincing conclusion, but reflect back on the opening piece. The contrasts of “Don Juan” are here transformed into grotesquerie and sarcasm, and the jester-hero, being merely a figure and a symbol, celebrates a mischievous resurrection after his execution. Strauss’s magnificent, highly virtuosic orchestration is fully on display.
The audience is thrilled… .”
Susanne Benda, Stuttgarter Nachrichten / Stuttgarter Zeitung / Böblinger Bote

“… a brilliant performance of the symphonic tone poem ‘Till Eulenspiegel’s Lustige Streiche’”
“The orchestra, under Inkinen’s always very precise beat, throws itself with stormy energy into the ascending leitmotif with which Strauss describes the Dionysian character of his hero [Don Juan].”
“The carnival scene, the duel, and the extinguishing in death are shaped with striking dramatic contrasts.”
“Here [in ‘Till Eulenspiegel’s Lustige Streiche’], Inkinen brings out the narrative and parodic elements vividly with the orchestra: even the ‘Once upon a time’ prologue generates tension, the humorous episodes are painted in bold colors, the grotesque scenes with the philistines are sharply exaggerated, and the ending – with the gallows, the high court, and the shrill solo clarinet at the moment of death – is performed with grandeur.
Even though the epilogue ends in a harmonious major key, the score’s expressive contrasts already foreshadow the rhythmic and harmonic daring that Strauss would realize a decade later in his operas Salome and Elektra.”
“The Intermezzo pieces from 1924 evoke the tone of “Der Rosenkavalier”, and the beautifully performed final encore – “Und morgen wird die Sonne wieder scheinen”, the last of the Op. 27 songs – returns once more to the composer’s wedding year, 1894.”
Dietholf Zerweck, Ludwigsburger Kreiszeitung

“Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele”
“Pietari Inkinen Celebrates Richard Strauss”
“Pietari Inkinen, who from 2014 to 2019 was more than acclaimed at the Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele for his unpretentious yet innovative leadership as chief conductor, returned once again to Ludwigsburg.”
“To once again witness the Finnish conductor’s passionate direction was a real treat.
More mature and more confident in his craft, Inkinen led the orchestra to soaring heights.”
“The final tone poem, ‘Till Eulenspiegel’s Lustige Streiche’, offered spirited entertainment through its wit, tone-painting narrative, and the vivid interpretation by Inkinen and his orchestra.
Through the music, one could see Till Eulenspiegel – personified by the flute – skipping through the alleys, brimming with anticipation for his next prank, which was then dramatically introduced by the winds and mischievously carried out with violin accompaniment. And again, Till Eulenspiegel skipped through the alleys, and Pietari Inkinen bounced along with him on the podium.”
Gabriele Szczegulski, Bietigheimer Zeitung

“The evening began with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie performing Richard Strauss’s tone poem “Don Juan”, Op. 20, under the inspiring direction of Pietari Inkinen. Lush melodies alternated with shimmering bursts of color. This fascinating interpretation especially highlighted the fusion of youthful vitality and refined artistry. The result was a Dionysian hymn to life itself. (…)
To contemporaries in 1890, it seemed as though the very foundations of harmony were shaking. With a commanding, elegant gesture of conquest, the first theme surged forth, sweeping everything before it with intoxicating sensuality. A new figure soon crossed the path of this ominous conqueror, hinted at suggestively, only to fall silent again with almost chaste tenderness. Then the oboe sang out its broad, richly colored melody. And once more, the triumphant one charged forward. The horn theme represents the musical symbol of Lenau’s verses. Accordingly, Don Juan’s themes overlapped and climbed in a hymn-like frenzy, propelled by the horn’s fanfare, only to plummet from the height of this orgiastic outburst of force, struck down as if by the lightning bolt of self-destruction into the void.
In this focused interpretation, the end of the tragedy had a powerful effect. The sound was concise and deliberate. The elemental force, destroyed by itself, dissolved away.
The four symphonic interludes from Strauss’s opera “Intermezzo”, Op. 72, once again showcased the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie’s impressive ability to shift in tone color. (…)
Under the baton of Pietari Inkinen, the DRP highlighted the kinship between “Intermezzo” and tone poems such as “Till Eulenspiegel’s Lustige Streiche” and “Sinfonia domestica”. The themes poured out fluidly and with brisk tempo, and the multilayered rhythmic structures were made vividly clear. The “German parlando” was unmistakable, and melodic surges sometimes took on an almost hymn-like quality. “Reisefieber und Walzerszene,” “Träumerei am Kamin,” “Am Spieltisch,” and “Fröhlicher Beschluss” were given unexpected intensity.
The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the tone poem “Till Eulenspiegels Lustige Streiche”, Op. 28, completed in 1895, whose delightful humor emerged in endlessly varied facets. This orchestral rondo sparkled with instrumental color thanks to Pietari Inkinen’s ability to let the themes and motifs of the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie appear in a wide range of moods and situations. The gentle tone of the storyteller was established right away. Defiant laughter rang out as the first Eulenspiegel motif came into its own. Brimming with energy, the motif proved highly adaptable. The opening phrase was no more than a lyrically affectionate transformation of the Eulenspiegel theme. The orchestra’s ability to shape sounds seemed almost inexhaustible.
Pietari Inkinen gave sharply defined expression to Till’s feigned innocence, whether he was smashing crockery in front of market women or donning the pious expression of a hypocrite. The rhythm of “Üb’ immer Treu und Redlichkeit” was clearly audible. And the staccato attacks intensified! Till’s two themes appeared in countless variations and transformations – now in the clarinets and threatening trombones, then as a sluggish melody in the bassoons and a fortissimo statement from the brass. In the end, the duped philistines took their revenge, and the blaring trombones pronounced the “verdict”: death.
Agreat final applause, many cries of “Bravo!” for a splendid orchestral performance under Pietari Inkinen, who served as chief conductor of the Ludwigsburg Festival Orchestra from 2014 to 2019.”
Alexander Walther, Theaterkompass / Online Merker

[Photo by Reiner Pfisterer]