From 19 – 29 th January 2019, Andris Nelsons and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig went on their first tour of the year, where they performed at the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg (which was part of Nelsons residency with Pro Arte Hamburg), Philharmonie de Paris, Philharmonie Luxembourg, Philharmonie im Gasteig Munich and the Musikverein, Vienna. They performed two programmes consisting of Mendelssohn and Schumann, including the Schumann Piano Concerto with soloist Hélène Grimaud, Schumann Symphony Number 3, Schumann Symphony Number 2, Mendelssohn Symphony Number 4 and two Mendelssohn overtures – ‘Ruy Blas’ and ‘Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt’.

Here are some of the wonderful reviews:

Joachim Mischke, Hamburger Abendblatt, 22 January 2019

“And long before the end of this short overture it was obvious: Andris Nelsons is, with a matching repertoire and orchestra, the maestro of the magnificent little things like hardly anyone else right now.”

Helmut Peters, Die Welt, 22 January 2019

“Everything was just right and one could immediately feel that the chemistry between the
Gewandhaus Orchestra and its new boss is perfect.”

Christian Merlin, Le Figaro, 29 January 2019

“Ruy Blas’ overture rises like a heart beating in the storm, an irresistible summary of German
romanticism. The Italian Symphony achieves the squaring of the circle by creating a sound that is influenced by the Germanic roots and also a clear and singing vivacity, where perpetual movements are never mechanical or precipitated. Leaving the Philharmonic on a little cloud, one still wonders how they manage to play both densely and softly.”

Harald Eggebrecht, Süddeutsche Zeitung, 28 January 2019

“A magical beginning: how Andris Nelsons and the unparalleled Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
began […] Robert Schumann’s Second Symphony in C major, tender, tense, captivating in the
transparency of the chordal movement, warm in sound and truly symphonically listening to and
respecting one another.”

“On the second evening Nelsons and his orchestra succeeded again in performing the miracle of
organically opening the quiet and slowness into a wide dimensioned space.“

Der Standard, 29 January 2019

“Meanwhile, the Gewandhaus Orchestra excelled with a homogeneous sound culture that was
difficult to describe, which began with Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s overture Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt in the most beautiful pastel colours and ended with an exuberant momentum.”