Following hard on the heels of his powerhouse performance of ‘Elektra’ at the BBC Proms, Semyon Bychkov’s 14/15 season has begun in fine style, seeing him reacquainting himself with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra for a three-week series of concerts in Germany and Austria. The tour kicked-off with an all-Strauss programme at the Berliner Philharmonie as part of the Musikfest Berlin, of which Der Tagesspiegel wrote:
“At their performance at the Musikfest Berlin, the Munich Philharmonic under Semyon Bychkov convinced with a tonally brilliant interpretation of Richard Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben. One week after a much applauded Strauss-evening with Anna Netrebko, the Staatskapelle and Barenboim, the Munich Philharmonic under Semyon Bychkov also brought a pure Strauss programme to Berlin’s Musikfest – and they played better… the concert worked better, was more coherent and left one glowing… “
After Munich, Bychkov travels to Leipzig to conduct the Gewandhausoorchester on 25th, 26th and 27th September in Franz Schmidt’s second symphony, and he then takes up residence in Vienna for his long-awaited return to the Vienna State Opera, conducting Lev Dodin’s new production of Mussorgsky’s epic Khovanschchina, with the opening night on 15th November.