Staatskapelle Dresden Nikolaj Znaider Christian Thielemann The

STAATSKAPELLE DRESDEN NIKOLAJ ZNAIDER CHRISTIAN THIELEMANN THE PRAGUE CONCERT LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN VIOLIN CONCERTO IN D MAJOR MAX REGER VARIATIONS AND FUGUE ON A THEME OF MOZART RICHARD STRAUSS TILL EULENSPIEGELS LUSTIGE STREICHE STAATSKAPELLE DRESDEN One of the world’s oldest orchestras, the Staatskapelle Dresden and NIKOLAJ ZNAIDER their distinguished Chief Conductor Christian Thielemann are joined CHRISTIAN THIELEMANN by star-violinist Nikolaj Znaider in a concert from the Czech capital’s THE PRAGUE CONCERT legendary Rudolfinum concert hall. Danish-born virtuoso Nikolaj Znaider proved an outstanding soloist in Beethoven’s sublime Violin Concerto, playing Fritz Kreisler’s cadenzas LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN on the gloriously warm-toned 1741 Guarnerius del Gesù violin that Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 once belonged to Kreisler himself. MAX REGER Written during the last summer before World War I, Max Reger’s Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Mozart, Op. 132 Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Mozart was performed here to mark the centenary of the German organist-composer’s death two RICHARD STRAUSS years later. Till Eulenspiegels Lustige Streiche, Op. 28 (Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks) And the ever-popular party piece Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche (Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks) celebrates the Dresden orchestra’s special relationship with Richard Strauss, nine of whose operas it Violin Nikolaj Znaider premiered. Orchestra Staatskapelle Dresden Concert reviews were ecstatic: “The first thing one became aware of Conductor Christian Thielemann in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto was the rhythmic heat of Thielemann’s conducting. The second was the sheer sumptuousness of the Dresden Video Director Adam Rezek orchestra’s sound” (The Telegraph), while Znaider was an “impeccable soloist” (The Guardian), whose “exceptional” interpretation was “fresh, Length: 103' vibrant and full of depth and nuance” (bachtrack.com). In the Reger, Cat. no. A 985 50037 0000 Thielemann offered a “wonderfully buoyant, lucid performance” (The Guardian). As for the Strauss: “The Dresden Staatskapelle is the Strauss orchestra par excellence and it still plays that music with a A production of unique understanding. Here, with Thielemann, it produced an account Czech Television and UNITEL of revelatory grace, wit and delicacy” (The Guardian).

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