Mendelssohn on tour with the Freiburger Barockorchester

Mar 21, 2018

Pablo Heras-Casado leads the Freiburger Barockorchester, the RIAS Kammerchor, and a renowned roster of soloists for Mendelssohn’s oratorio Elias, on a three-concert tour this spring which will be captured for a future CD release on the harmonia mundi label. Performances take place on April 2 at the Konzerthaus Freiburg, April 6 the Philharmonie in Paris which marks Pablo’s debut at the venue, and on April 8 at Madrid’s Teatro Real, where he serves as the Principal Guest Conductor. Soloists for these concerts include Matthias Goerne in the title role, Sophie Karthäuser as Die Witwe, Sebastian Kohlhepp is Obadjah & Ahab, and Marianne Beate Kielland sings Die Königin.

Past harmonia mundi collaborations featuring works by Mendelssohn with Heras-Casado and the Freiburger Barockorchester include the Violin Concerto / Symphony No. 5 / Hebrides Overture and Symphonies 3 & 4.

“It makes for quite extraordinary listening, the edgy warmth of the period instruments lending probing penetration and utter uniqueness to what we traditionally think of as the accepted Mendelssohn sound. It’s as if the cobwebs and time-honoured nostalgia have been swept aside, leaving the music feeling as fresh as the day it was written … the fleet-footed, warm-hearted energy of Heras-Casado’s compelling interpretations, and thrill-a-minute playing from the orchestra, make for truly essential listening.” (The Scotsman)