Marc Albrecht

Alexander von Zemlinsky's "Eine florentinische Tragödie" (1917) eagerly awaited album was released on 14 June 2024. Under the baton of Marc Albrecht, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra delivers a dazzling rendition of this tense, opulent score. The album features the talents of John Lundgren (Simone), Nikolai Schukoff (Guido Bardi) and Ausrine Stundyte (Bianca).

Zemlinsky’s opera, known for its dramatic narrative where a tenor and soprano's love is thwarted by a baritone, reaches new heights under Albrecht's direction. The Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, celebrated for their late-Romantic repertoire and awarded the 2021 Opus Klassik for Zemlinsky’s "Die Seejungfrau", brings depth and brilliance to the recording. This album release is yet another highlight for the Dutch National Opera, recently crowned Opera House of the Year 2024 by Oper! Magazine.

With seasoned soloists and a world-class orchestra, this rendition of "Eine florentinische Tragödie" is set to captivate and impress classical music enthusiasts worldwide. You can listen to the album on all streaming platforms.

The eagerly awaited premiere of the new production of Puccini's "Tosca" at the Theater an der Wien will take place on Tuesday, 18 January 2022.
The production by Martin Kušej features an exquisite cast of singers at the Theater an der Wien with Kristine Opolais as Floria Tosca, Jonathan Tetelman as Mario Cavaradossi and Gábor Bretz as Scarpia. The ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna will perform under the musical direction of Marc Albrecht.
Further performances take place on
21, 23, 26, 28, 30 January 2022, 7.00 p.m.
ORF broadcast dates:
"Tosca" will be broadcast on 28 January at 9:20 pm on ORF 2 and on 5 February at 7:30 pm on Radio Ö1.

Marc Albrecht has been awarded the OPUS KLASSIK in the category Conductor of the Year for his production „Zemlinsky – Die Seejungfrau“. The album features Zemlinsky’s enigmatic symphonic poem, based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, through a series of vivid music motives and earned considerable acclaim all around. Trouw, for instance, wrote: "The performance is rich in detail, compelling and exhilarating. Marc Albrecht beautifully leads the strongly expanded orchestra, which plays brilliantly.“ – "A marvellous recording“, wrote rbb Kultur. "Marc Albrecht has always had the gift of bringing out transparency, light and filigree structures in these opulent, late-Romantic orchestral masses." 

Released in June 2020, the recording marked the final PENTATONE album of Marc Albrecht as chief conductor of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra. 

The OPUS KLASSIK award ceremony will take place on October 10, 2021 in the Konzerthaus Berlin on Gendarmenmarkt and will be broadcast on German Television, the ZDF, on the same evening at 10:15 p.m.

On Wednesday, May 12, Marc Albrecht will conduct the Teatro Massimo Orchestra in a live-streamed performance of Schubert’s Symphony No. 3 and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 “Titan”. 

Written at 18 years old, Franz Schubert’s Third Symphony foreshadows ideas that would expand the scale of the symphony, while being notably short and concise. The piece is paired with Gustav Mahler’s “Titan” symphony, premiered in 1889 as a symphonic poem and one of his most famous works. The inner turmoil and stark contrasts that shape his music are already evident in his first symphony, leading to a jubilant finale in brilliant D Major.

The stream is part of the project #apertinonostantetutto (We keep going, regardless).

More information: 

https://www.teatromassimo.it/eng/on-stage/concerts/daniel-harding-schubert-mahler.htm

Deutsche Oper Berlin will make their celebrated production of Korngold's "Das Wunder der Heliane", conducted by Marc Albrecht, available to stream on demand from February 18 to February 21.

The recording, released by Naxos in June 2019, just won the Opus Klassik award 2020 for Best Opera Recording of a 20./21. century opera. In 2018, the production was voted “Rediscovery of the Year” 2018 by the critics of Opernwelt magazine and earned considerable acclaim all round – Berliner Morgenpost, for instance, wrote: “But the real miracle of the evening happens in the pit. Marc Albrecht savours Korngold's sound frenzy for a good three hours, dims it only occasionally to strengthen individual performances and vocal moments. With great pleasure he devotes himself to the details that emerge from the sound waves, exposing layers, only to allow them to melt back into one another.”

Directed by Christof Loy, the cast includes Sara Jakubiak, Josef Wagner, Brian Jagde and Okka von der Damerau.

More information here: https://www.deutscheoperberlin.de/de_DE/das-wunder-der-heliane-als-video-on-demand

Photo: "Das Wunder der Heliane", director: Christof Loy, premiere 18.3.2018 Deutsche Oper Berlin, copyright: Monika Rittershaus

As of January 26, Marc Albrecht will be conducting “Capriccio” at the Opéra de Paris. Richard Strauss’ last opera – or “conversation piece”, as Strauss and librettist Clevens Krauss described it – tackles the question of the value relationship between sound and word in opera. Directed by Robert Carson, the cast includes Diana Damrau as the Countess Madeleine, as well as Wolfgang Koch, Pavol Breslik, Audun Iversen, Günther Groissböck, Ekaterina Gubanova and others. The production will run until February 21.

More information here:

www.operadeparis.fr/en/season-20-21/opera/capriccio

Marc Albrecht has been awarded the Prix d'Amis 2020 for his work as chief conductor of the Dutch National Opera and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra from 2011-2020 by the Friends of Dutch National Opera. He will also be made a "Honorary Friend of Dutch National Opera". The jury praised Albrecht for his performances, his eye for aesthetics and his versatility in style: „He has made a difference as a top-level conductor". Marc Albrecht, who bade farewell this year after 9 years of head of DNO, will donate the money that comes with the prize to the Kersjesfonds, which helps young conductors improve their professional skills.

„What a great surprise and wonderful news to win the Prix d'Amis. I am honoured to get this award from the Friends and donors of Dutch National Opera for my tenure at Dutch National Opera and I would like to express my gratitude to everyone involved.

I have had to say goodbye to DNO and the Dutch audience in strange and sad circumstances because of the Covid-19 measures. My heart is still very much at Dutch National Opera, so I am very happy that by winning the Prix d'Amis and being made "Honorary Friend of Dutch National Opera" I will remain part of this family. This will once again strengthen our relationship and I am already looking forward to being "back in de bak" in the near future." (Marc Albrecht)

Photo: Marco Borggreve

The production of Korngold's "Das Wunder der Heliane" at Deutsche Oper Berlin, conducted by Marc Albrecht, has won the Opus Klassik award 2020 for Best Opera Recording of a 20./21. century opera!

A neglected masterpiece, the production was voted "Rediscovery of the Year" by the critics of Opernwelt magazine and earned considerable acclaim all round – Neue Musikzeitung, for instace, wrote: "How Marc Albrecht ignites and holds together the exuberant, velvety luxurious orchestral shimmer that would later serve as a blueprint for countless film scores is an experience." Directed by Christof Loy, the cast includes Sara Jakubiak, Josef Wagner, Brian Jagde and Okka von der Damerau.

The celebrated recording was released by Naxos in June 2019 and is available here: https://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=2.110584-85

Photo: Monika Rittershaus

Marc Albrecht and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra ended the 2019/20 season on June 20 at Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam in front of a small live audience. For Marc Albrecht, it was the last season as chief conductor of the National Opera and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra / Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. Though the audience was limited to 30 visitors due to Covid-19 restrictions, the concert – with music by Strauss, Mahler and Schumann – will be streamed on June 28 at 20:00 via Radio NPO 4 as well as the orchestra's Facebook and YouTube channels. 

A farewell concert to mark the occasion will be held at a later date.

For his many contributions to the Dutch and international classical music landscape, Marc Albrecht has been appointed the knighthood of the Order of the Netherlands Lion. It is one of the oldest and highest civil orders in the Netherlands and is intended for extraordinary merits in science and the arts. He was awarded the order by Deputy mayor Touria Meliani on June 20 after a concert with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra at Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam.

Find out more: https://www.operaballet.nl/nl/nieuws/2020/06/koninklijke-onderscheiding-voor-marc-albrecht

Marc Albrecht and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra present Zemlinsky's symphonic poem Die Seejungfrau (The Mermaid). Lush and enigmatic, it is based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Through a series of motives, Zemlinsky depicts the musical fantasy in vivid colours: from the bottom of the ocean through the storm to an exuberant ball, introducing the Mermaid through solo violin. This new recording marks the final PENTATONE album of Marc Albrecht as chief conductor of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Dutch National Opera has launched a new platform "Keep on Singing on Dancing" to stream past opera performances while live performances are halted due to Covid-19. Besides streams of different operas that have been performed on their stage in recent years, the platform also offers articles, games and quizzes, personal video messages and tips from the Dutch National Opera singers, dancers and collegues. Practice-at-home videos, song and dance workouts and other challenges are also available, as well as an extensive programme for young viewers. The platform is continuously updated with new content: https://bit.ly/nob-online

On March 21, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia will broadcast a performance of Schumann's Symphonies No. 2 and 4 as well as Brahms' "Schicksalslied", led by Marc Albrecht, on their website. The concert was originally played in March 2016 and is now being shown again as part of the #laculturainCasa initiative that brings music into people's homes.

Robert Schumann wrote the Symphony No. 2 in C Major – although composed in the state of the clearly emerging fatal illness, it is nevertheless an affirmation of life. It is paired with Brahms' personal reinterpretation of the idea of fate in his "Schicksalslied" and the Symphony No. 4, also by Schumann who wrote it as a birthday present for his wife Clara. Instead of traditional form and movements, he created a network of related themes, with a continuous development taking place. Although not being overly successfull at the premiere, today it is his most frequently performed symphony.

The concert will be streamed on http://www.santacecilia.it/concerti?fbclid=IwAR1HMBI7Kbor_Fx2nAcELrVRtm3C-BJsb35dzsQM_G5KpAdAGoK5u5ur3R0

The upcoming concerts with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra next week have been cancelled due to Covid-19 safety regulations. No concerts will take place for the orchestra until the 31st of March. Please check the following website for further information: https://orkest.nl/en/coronavirus 

On March 21 and 23, Marc Albrecht will conduct Olivier Messiaen's “Turangalîla Symphony” at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Messiaen composed the symphony shortly after the end of the Second World War as a universal symbol of humanity and love – it is a work with an unusual instrumental set-up that includes the so-called Ondes Martenot, an electronic instrument nowadays rarely found within orchestral contexts. “Turangalîla” will be performed by the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, spearheaded by Albrecht as Music Director of the Dutch National Opera since 2011.

The Grammy nominations are out – and an opera production conducted by Marc Albrecht has been nominated for “Best Opera Recording”! The 2017 production of Alban Berg’s “Wozzeck” at the Dutch National Opera, and Music Director Marc Albrecht’s interpretation in particular, earned great critical acclaim – “Marc Albrecht lets [the score] glow and blaze,” wrote German critic Manuel Brug of newspaper Die Welt. The recording was released on Naxos in 2018. “Wozzeck” was performed by the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra as well as the Chorus of Dutch National Opera, directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski and the cast included Christopher Maltman as well as Eva-Maria Westbroek.

In the 1997/98 season Pierre Audi first presented his legendary Wagner Ring – to world-wide acclaim. "This production [...] is a triumph of timeless mythical magic and aesthetic clarity," wrote Dutch newspaper NRC about a rerun of "Die Walküre" in 2004. Precisely this production of "Die Walküre" is now returning to the Dutch National Opera for the very last time, starting on November 16, under the baton of Marc Albrecht. Because of George Tsypin's unique stage design, Wagner expert Albrecht will bring to life the score in the midst of the stage instead of the pit, surrounded by a cast that includes Michael König, Stephen Milling, Iain Paterson, Eva-Maria Westbroek as well as Martina Serafin.

Photo: Marco Borggreve / Dutch National Opera

September 9 will be all about Wagner for Marc Albrecht, as he will be celebrating the BBC Proms with a big Wagner evening. He thus revives an old Proms tradition, as composer-specific nights were an integral part of the festival’s early days. In the first half, the concert revolves around enchanted forests, which were among the most important symbols of German Romanticism. In the second part, Albrecht, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, soprano Christine Goerke and tenor Stephen Gould present scenes from Götterdämmerung.

In 2009, Marc Albrecht celebrated a notable success at Royal Opera House with Wagner’s “Fliegender Holländer” – this summer, he makes a return to Covent Garden: From June 19 he will be conducting a new production of Mussorgksky’s “Boris Godunov”, directed by Richard Jones. Bass-baritone Bryn Terfel takes over the titular role of the hesitant tsar.

Last year’s celebrated production of Korngold’s “Das Wunder der Heliane” at Deutsche Oper Berlin will be released on DVD by Naxos on June 14. The opera, which was conducted by Marc Albrecht, was voted “Rediscovery of the Year” 2018 by the critics of Opernwelt magazine and earned considerable acclaim all round – Berliner Morgenpost, for instance, wrote: “But the real miracle of the evening happens in the pit. Marc Albrecht savours Korngold's sound frenzy for a good three hours, dims it only occasionally to strengthen individual performances and vocal moments. With great pleasure he devotes himself to the details that emerge from the sound waves, exposing layers, only to allow them to melt back into one another.”

Photo: Monika Rittershaus

Marc Albrecht received the "Conductor of the Year" award at this year's International Opera Awards. At the award ceremony at Sadler's Wells in London on April 29, Leontyne Price amongst others was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award. Albrecht, who last year directed the opening production "Ariadne auf Naxos" at Aix-en Provence Festival and the production "Das Wunder der Heliane" at the Deutsche Oper Berlin in addition to the productions at the Dutch National Opera House, thanked the jury for the award and emphasized the long and fruitful collaboration at the Amsterdam Opera House, whose chief position Albrecht has accompanied for more than ten years now.

Premiere night in Amsterdam: On April 6th Marc Albrecht will be conducting “Tannhäuser” at the Dutch National Opera – his fifth Wagner production at the DNO after “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg,” “Parsifal,”“Lohengrin” and “Tristan und Isolde.” The production will be directed by Christoph Loy, with whom Marc Albrecht collaborated on the celebrated staging of “Das Wunder der Heliane” at Deutsche Oper in 2018. With its splendid choral movements, “Tannhäuser” is a true ‘singers’ opera’ – soloists include Daniel Kirch, Stephen Miling and Svetlana Aksenova. The production will be running until the 1st of May.

Photo: Monika Rittershaus

On February 13th, 14th and 17th, Marc Albrecht will substitute for Christoph von Dohnányi at the Teatro Alla Scala. He will conduct Anton Bruckner’s Te Deum in C major and the 4th Symphony. 

As of December 6 2018 Marc Albrecht will be conducting “Oedipe” by George Enescu at the Dutch National Opera. The staging is directed by Àlex Ollé; Johan Reuter, Sophie Koch und Violeta Urmana are among the cast. The production was first premiered at the Théâtre royal de la Monnaie in Brussels in 2010 and will be running in Amsterdam until December 25. 

Find more information here.

In October, Marc Albrecht’s opera debut in the USA is coming up, which he will celebrate with Strauss’ “Arabella” at the San Francisco Opera. The director Tim Albery, who Marc Albrecht has already worked with at the Royal Opera House in London, also makes his debut in San Francisco with this production. 

First performance on October 16th, 2018. 

Further information is available here.

Marc Albrecht continues his focus on Strauss with a new album. On this new CD, he combines the “Burleske” with one of Strauss’ most famous tone poems “Ein Heldenleben” and, thereby, presents two facets of the composer’s musical persona. The Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and the pianist Denis Kozhukhin support Albrecht as musical partners for this recording. 

A detailed press text can be found via this link. 

Further information on this album are available here.