NJO celebrates musical triumph in Berlin
18 augustus 2024
'The concert was one of the best I have ever heard in the context of Young Euro Classic.' On 15 August, the NJO, conducted by Antony Hermus, concluded its Summer Tour 2024 with a performance in the Berlin Konzerthaus. It was an unprecedented success. Was the orchestra propelled to greater heights by the dark clouds gathering over the organisation? Who knows. The fact is that the exceptionally inspired performance in Berlin had the audience on their feet. "If it is possible to sustainably attract a new audience to the concert halls, then let the young people take the lead." On the German online cultural platform 'Online Merker', Dr Ingobert Waltenberger leaves a jubilant review. The shortened translation reads as follows (the full German text can be read here): Berlin/Konzerthaus: Festival YOUNG EURO CLASSIC in its 25th year: the National Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands plays works by Roukens, Rachmaninov and Stravinsky Musical triumph on all fronts "This is where the music plays," beams the conductor Antony Hermus, chief conductor of the Belgian National Orchestra in Brussels and principal guest conductor of the youth orchestra, overwhelmed by ovations, in the packed hall. While the summer festivals for classical music are slowly closing their doors and the autumn season is about to begin, it is time for the Young Euro Classic Festival in the Berlin Konzerthaus. This year, the festival is celebrating its 25th edition. The record so far is impressive: since 2000, 178 orchestras from 59 countries have taken part, and 26,544 young talents and masters of their instruments have presented themselves. […] This year I chose to attend the concert of the National Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands (NJO), and I was amazed by the technical skill and high professionalism of the Dutch orchestra. There has clearly been a lot of hard work here. [….]
Yesterday's concert was artistically memorable. […] If proof were needed that the collaboration between young talent in an orchestra and experienced conductors and soloists is meaningful, then the performance of Sergei Rachmaninov's Fourth Piano Concerto in G minor, Op. 40, with pianist Boris Giltburg was the most beautiful confirmation. This, in my opinion, most modern and perhaps most interesting piano concerto by the composer who emigrated to the US and is looking for a professional anchorage there, was heard in an exemplary poetic interpretation. […] Although the balance between the enormous orchestra and the piano in this work always poses an immense challenge for all involved, the listening and mutual inspiration by the orchestra under the musically inspired leadership of Antony Hermus was clearly noticeable. I am convinced that Giltburg inspired many of the young musicians with his so nuanced, heavenly light, auratic playing, to think about questions of expression and interaction between piano and instruments (English horn). The concert was one of the best I have ever heard in the context of Young Euro Classic. […] After the interval, the big show followed with Igor Stravinsky's Suite for the ballet "Petrushka" from 1947. The piece offers a great opportunity to give all the instrument groups space with many excitingly combined solos and to set the audience on fire. For the instrumental fireworks of the essentially sad fairground story about a magician and three puppets (two rivals compete for the hand of the beautiful ballerina with a fatal outcome for poor Petrushka), Peter Leung came up with a funny and inventive "orchestral choreography", which suggested the hustle and bustle of a folk festival with colorful cloths, ribbons and balloons. The encore, a maximally energetic excerpt from Dmitri Shostakovich's musical comedy "Moscow Cheryomushki", was also accompanied in the same humorous way by funny body movements. At the end, as so often, there was an emotional and moving finale with the enthusiastic Dutch and other fans (many friends, girlfriends, fathers, mothers, uncles and aunts had certainly come along). The rousing atmosphere was comparable to that in a football stadium after the home team has won. What do we learn from this? If it is possible to attract a new audience to the concert halls in a sustainable way, let the young people take the lead. Dr. Ingobert Waltenberger