Herkulessaal, Munich, 31 October 2025
Richard Wagner: Tannhäuser Overture
Richard Strauss: Tod und Verklärung
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem
The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BRSO) opened the All Saints’ weekend with a reflective concert at Munich’s Herkulessaal. Under the baton of the French conductor (and contralto) Nathalie Stutzmann, making her debut with the BRSO, the evening explored humanity’s search for meaning through three works: Wagner’s Tannhäuser Overture, Strauss’ Tod und Verklärung (Death and Transfiguration), and Mozart’s Requiem — “Three masterpieces, three visions of humanity’s striving for love, knowledge, and immortality,” as the BRSO described the program.
Stutzmann made her Bayreuther Festspiele debut two years ago conducting Tannhäuser, and her deep connection to Wagner and the work itself was unmistakable in the overture. The opening felt sincere, unfolding with calm, almost sacred simplicity. The progression from purity to passion was entirely organic, as the youthful energy of the Venusberg music burst with vitality, driving the overture to an ecstatic and irresistible climax.
In Strauss’ Tod und Verklärung, Stutzmann achieved a fine balance between clarity and intensity, letting the music grow naturally from the tension of the opening. She shaped long, sweeping lines and allowed the music to breathe freely as it moved toward Strauss’s emotionally charged climaxes. The transfiguration at the end rose like a sunrise after a storm. As demanding as Strauss’ tone poems are, the BRSO once again showed why it ranks among the world’s finest orchestras, both individually and as an ensemble.
Finally, the performance of Mozart’s Requiem was a rare experience. Stutzmann’s interpretation was deeply personal, marked by sharp dynamic contrasts and striking clarity, yet it never lost the spiritual gentleness at the heart of the work. She balanced power and tenderness with complete naturalness, shaping each phrase with care. The choir sang with purity and warmth, their diction clear and expressive, while the orchestra supported them with transparency. The four soloists — Erika Baikoff (soprano), Fleur Barron (mezzo-soprano), Lunga Eric Hallam (tenor) and Lawson Anderson (bass-baritone) — offered vivid, heartfelt performances. The Requiem felt neither heavy nor polished to excess, but human, alive, and newly created in the very moment it was performed.
