At the Halle aux Grains, Toulouse, for a concert of works from the later years of composers Richard Strauss and Anton Bruckner by the Orchester national du Capitole de Toulouse led by its new musical director, the Finnish conductor Tarmo Peltokoski.
The concert opened with the cycle of ‘Four Last Songs’ by Richard Strauss. The songs, composed in 1948 when the composer was eighty-four, are Frühling’ (Spring), ‘September’, ‘Beim Schlafengehen’ (When Falling Asleep) and ‘Im Abendrot’ (At Sunset). After the composer’s death they were published by Strauss’s friend Ernst Roth, who gave them their title. They were performed beautifully by Israeli soprano Chen Reiss, who deservedly received several ovations.
Chen Reiss
The second half saw a tremendous performance of Bruckner’s Symphony no. 9 in D minor. It was the last symphony on which the composer worked and he dedicated it “to the beloved God.” The last movement was left incomplete at the time of his death in 1896 and tonight’s performance included only the three completed movements. (A fourth movement has been completed by a team of Bruckner experts over twenty years and has been recorded by Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic.)
Even without the fourth movement it is a monumental symphony and it was played superbly by the orchestra. Of particular note were the brass sections and the lone timpanist who handled the climaxes wonderfully. The strings were also electric, especially in the scherzo. If this is a taste of the Toulouse orchestra’s future under Tarmo Peltokoski there is much to look forward to. I hope so as I have already booked several concerts for next season!
Richard Strauss: ‘Four Last Songs’; Anton Bruckner: ‘Symphony no. 9 in D minor’ WAB 109.