When Iván Fischer recently stage directed and conducted the Budapest Festival Orchestra in critically acclaimed performances of Mozart’s Don Giovanni at Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival, it was another triumph for the conductor. Recently nominated for the prestigious 2011 Gramophone Artist of the Year award, Fischer’s appearances with the orchestra are always highlights of the concert season.
Fischer is the founder and Music Director of the orchestra and, as his staging of Don Giovanni proved, he’s an innovator. He’s introduced several new concert series in Budapest, including “cocoa concerts” for young people and “surprise concerts” where the program isn’t announced. Fischer has also spearheaded several festivals, including a summer baroque festival and the Budapest Mahlerfest.
An extremely versatile conductor, Fischer and the orchestra’s mastery of repertoire from the baroque to the contemporary makes each of his performances and recordings major events. He has built an impressive discography on the excellent Channel Classics label with some reference quality recordings of Beethoven, Dvorák, Mahler and others.
The newest recording from Fischer and the orchestra is a marvelously innovative performance of Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 9, “The Great.” This is another unique Fischer interpretation of music from the core repertoire. By adding narrow bore trombones and natural horns to the orchestra, the work glows with a unique color. By eschewing the ponderous Brucknerian approach to the music, Fischer’s Schubert Ninth accentuates the music’s dance and songlike qualities.
To read about Fischer’s Don Giovanni, vist our blog.
by Craig Zeichner
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