Marc Albrecht

News

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.

Biography

Marc Albrecht is one of the most exciting conductors of his generation. He is in demand internationally as a conductor of the German-Austrian late Romantic repertoire from Wagner and Strauss to Zemlinsky, Schreker and Korngold, and also cultivates with conviction the entire spectrum from Mozart to contemporary music.

Albrecht’s work with the orchestra is rooted in a chamber music approach; he loves and knows how to utilise the infinite sound possibilities of the large symphony orchestra, whilst simultaneously always allowing the sound to blend with the intimacy of the chamber orchestra. Even in the densely orchestrated symphonies of Bruckner and Mahler, Albrecht succeeds in an astonishing way in making the structure clear and letting the music breathe. With Marc Albrecht, an analytical approach and emotional music-making go hand in hand.

His artistic work has been honoured numerous times: In October 2021 with the OPUS KLASSIK as "Conductor of the Year" for the recording of Zemlinsky's "The Mermaid" with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra (Pentatone), in 2020 the appointment as "Knight of the Order of the Dutch Lion" as well as the award of the "Prix d'Amis" of the Dutch National Opera, two of the most prestigious prizes in the Netherlands. In the same year, Marc Albrecht received another OPUS KLASSIK in the category "Best Opera Recording of the 20th/21st Century" for the DVD of Korngold's "The Miracle of Heliane" at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, released by NAXOS. He was named "Conductor of the year" by the International Opera Awards in 2019 and the Dutch National Opera's 2017 production of Alban Berg's "Wozzeck" was nominated for a GRAMMY in the category "Best Opera Recording". In addition, in 2016 the Dutch National Opera was named Europe's "Opera House of the Year" during his tenure as chief conductor.

The Berliner Morgenpost wrote of the production in 2018: "But the real miracle of the evening happens in the pit. Marc Albrecht savours Korngold's intoxication of sound for a good three hours, (...). He devotes himself with great pleasure to the details that emerge from the waves of sound, uncovering layers only to let them merge with each other again straight away". "An exhilarating interpretation" is the verdict of the 2020 Tagesspiegel on the recording of Zemlinsky's "The Mermaid", and a 2019 BBC Proms Bachtrack review praises: "Albrecht [...] transported me to an ominous landscape the likes of which I had never experienced before in this music. By carefully highlighting particular solos or sections and adjusting the balance naturally, he not only did justice to the exuberant acoustics of the Royal Albert Hall: he exploited them to the full. [...] Albrecht's conducting tore [the music] from the page."

In the 2022/23 season, selected guest conducting engagements will take Marc Albrecht to the opera houses of Berlin, Amsterdam and Zurich; he will be on tour with the Bundesjugendorchester and with the Seoul Philharmonic, Maggio Musical Firenze, Konzerthausorchester Berlin and the NDR Radiophilharmonie, among others.

Career

Albrecht was deeply influenced by his mentor Claudio Abbado, as whose assistant he helped to build up and supervise the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra over a period of five years, following his studies in Vienna and his first répétiteur posts at the Vienna and Hamburg State Operas. He was appointed First Kapellmeister at the Saxon State Opera in Dresden and in 1995, at the age of 30, one of Germany's youngest general music directors at the Staatstheater Darmstadt.

In 2006, he took over the direction of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, and in 2011 moved to Amsterdam, where opera once again became the focus of his work. In 2016, his contract was extended until 2020. Since summer 2020, Marc Albrecht is working as a freelance conductor with various orchestras and opera houses on all continents.

In Amsterdam, he has conducted Mozart's "The Magic Flute" and "Don Giovanni", Enescu's "Oedipe", Beethoven's "Fidelio", Verdi's "Macbeth", Wagner's "Meistersinger" and "Tannhäuser", "Elektra" by Strauss, "Der Schatzgräber" by Schreker, "The Gambler" by Prokofiev and the world premiere of Manfred Trojahn's "Orest", among others. Other milestones include the first staged version of Schönberg's "Gurre-Lieder", directed by Pierre Audi in September 2014, and Pierre Audi's legendary production of Wagner's "Die Walküre".

As a guest conductor, Albrecht has conducted operas by composers as diverse as Berlioz and Messiaen, Stravinsky, Mussorgsky and Martinů, B. A. Zimmermann and Zemlinsky, Berg, Henze and Wagner at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, in Brussels, Paris and Barcelona, the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, at the Salzburg Festival, and from 2003 to 2006 at the Bayreuth Festival.

Marc Albrecht appreciates the intensive collaboration with directors in opera productions, and particularly successful collaborations include those with Katie Mitchell and Christof Loy, Claus Guth, Herbert Fritsch and Krzysztof Warlikowski.

In addition, Albrecht has conducted the Berlin Philharmonic, the Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Munich Philharmonic, the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, the Orchestre National de France, the NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo and the orchestras in Cleveland, Dallas, Stockholm, Oslo, Turin, Rotterdam and Birmingham.

Marc Albrecht has recorded extensively with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra (Korngold, Ravel, Dukas, Koechlin, Berg, Schumann, Dvořák, Mahler, Strauss, Brahms/Schönberg) on the Pentatone label, and recordings of opera productions in Amsterdam on the Challenge label. In summer 2020, he presented Alexander Zemlinky's "The Mermaid" on his most recent Pentatone recording, for which he received the OPUS KLASSIK as "Conductor of the Year".

Season 2022/2023

read more ...

Calendar

09.12.2024   19:00    Prague
PKF - Prague Philharmonia
19.01.2025   14:00    Tokyo
Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
Richard Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer - Romantische Oper in 3 Aufzügen
22.01.2025   18:30    Tokyo
Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
Richard Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer - Romantische Oper in 3 Aufzügen
25.01.2025   14:00    Tokyo
Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
Richard Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer - Romantische Oper in 3 Aufzügen
29.01.2025   14:00    Tokyo
Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
Richard Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer - Romantische Oper in 3 Aufzügen
01.02.2025   14:00    Tokyo
Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
Richard Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer - Romantische Oper in 3 Aufzügen
20.02.2025   20:30    Torino
Marie-Ange Nguci
Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai
Richard Strauss: Burleske AV 85 d-Moll für Klavier und Orchester (1886) ************** Richard Strauss: Sinfonia domestica op. 53 (1903)
21.02.2025   20:00    Torino
Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai

Media

Foto
Video
CD
DVD
Zemlinsky: Die Seejungfrau
Ein Heldenleben
Der Rosenkavalier
Mahler Song Cycles
Brahms / Schönberg
Mahler Sinfonie Nr. 4
Mahler Das Lied von der Erde
Korngold
Dukas, Ravel, Koechlin
Berg
Shostakovich
Strauss
Strauss Arabella
Strauss Elektra
SCHREKER Der Schatzgräber
TROJAHN Orest
DVD „Das Wunder der Heliane"
DVD Gurrelieder

"... bannende Ausstrahlung geht auch von Marc Albrecht aus."

Die Welt

Press Quotes

Frau ohne Schatten, Oper Köln

Albrecht presents himself as a director of Richard Strauss of caliber, who dispatches this Shadowless Woman with as much sensuality as intelligence and does not betray her with striking effects.

Mundoclasico, October 11, 2023

 

[T]he result is more than satisfactory thanks also to the skilful musical direction of Marc Albrecht, who has been in great harmony with the complex sound world of Richard Strauss for years. Under his guidance the Gürzenich Orchester shows the infinite range of colors and sound power, but also knows how to gather in warm chamber sounds and release the singing of strings in the solos of moving lyricism. Albrecht's great merit is in the great balance, never easy, with the voices on the scene, which reach the audience with plastic sharpness in this performance.

Stefano Nardelli, Giornale Della Musica, October 16, 2023

 

Concert with the Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest, Concertgebouw Amsterdam

Unchanged, […]  Albrecht's ability to tighten the score in a single, very tense narrative arc, in a performance of enthralling vitality welcomed by the public with a real ovation.

Edoardo Saccenti, OperaClick, October 11, 2023

 

Turandot, Philharmonia Zürich

Marc Albrecht was a veritable powerhouse in the pit […] A fantastic production of a fantastic opera - 1 cannot say more.

Seen und Heard International, June 19, 2023

 

Königskinder, Dutch National Opera Amsterdam

Back in the pit with his trusted Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Albrecht conducted superbly, highlighting the chamber-like details of the score and pinpointing the many string solos.

Nicolas Nguyen, Bachtrack, October7, 2022

 

Concert with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra

But the Meyerson Symphony Center audience got quite a showcase of the […] fastidious command and generous musicality of German guest conductor Marc Albrecht.

Scott Cantrell, The Dallas Morning News, March 18, 2022

 

Der Schatzgräber, Deutsche Oper Berlin

[...] But the evening’s real hero is conductor Marc Albrecht. He has been fascinated by the piece for decades, and it shows. He knows just how to give full throttle to the score’s lush extremes without losing any of the detail; how to pull back for moments of whispering tenderness; how to hold his singers in the palm of his hand. The orchestra shows just how much more subtlety and refinement it can produce in the right hands. The piece lives and breathes.
Der Schatzgräber deserves more outings than this, and different takes on its strange story-line. But this is an excellent start, and the perfect way to hear an extraordinary score. [...]

Financial Times, Shirley Apthorp, May 4, 2022

Alexander Zemlinsky: Die Seejungfrau

 A marvellous recording. Marc Albrecht has always had the gift of bringing out transparency, light and filigree structures in these opulent, late-Romantic orchestral masses.

rbb Kultur, July 2020

 

Marc Albrecht and the Nederlands Philharmonic Orchestra have created an exhilarating interpretation of Zemlinsky's tone poem "Die Seejungfrau".

Der Tagesspiegel, July 2020

 

Listening to this fine new recording from Marc Albrecht and the Netherlands Philharmonic, the neglect of Seejungfrau seems particularly baffling. 

The Guardian, June 2020

 

The performance is rich in detail, compelling and exhilarating. (...) [Marc Albrecht] beautifully leads the strongly expanded orchestra, which plays brilliantly.

Trouw, June 2020

 

Marc Albrecht and the Netherlands Philharmonic show a close bond from the first note, so that the interpretative ideas are implemented with pinpoint accuracy. This then goes far beyond simply playing the notes. Rather, the musicians allow the colours and waves that are incorporated in the sea motifs to emerge clearly. 

Pizzicato, June 2020

 

Albrecht and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra shine in this recording. The deep sea, the sea witch, sunlight breaking on waves: they draw the mermaid's biotope with ease.

Volkskrant, June 2020

 

BBC Proms, London

“Albrecht's exciting performance [of Le Chasseur maudit] had momentum, and maintained tension even in the slow central part.”

“As music director of Dutch National Opera, Albrecht is an experienced Wagnerian and he drew all the strands together with theatrical relish, inspiring the RPO in the process.”

 

Daily Telegraph, September 2019

 

“Albrecht lifted this listener out of the concert hall and deposited me in a baleful landscape the like of which I'd never previously encountered in this music. By the careful highlighting of specific solos or sections, then allowing balance to follow naturally, he did more than conquer the Royal Albert Hall’s exuberant acoustic: he exploited it. This accursed huntsman's musical material may be thinly stretched over the 14-minute running time but Franck’s orchestral colours enrich it triumphantly and Albrecht’s conducting ripped it from the page.“

Bachtrack, September 2019

 

“[Marc Albrecht] coaxed some outstanding playing from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: I have not heard them on such form in years.“

„Albrecht had also proved himself a master of transition in the Overture to Weber’s Der Freischütz – astutely programmed as a piece that worked magic on Wagner’s imagination – and in the wild ride of Le Chausseur Maudit by Franck.“

 

The Arts Desk, September 2019

 

“Albrecht showed – in the venue where Wagner conducted his own music in 1877 – how he has a deep understanding of German Romanticism and rarely can the RPO have sounded better at the Proms in recent years.”

Seen and Heard International, September 2019

 

Contact

General Management:

KD SCHMID
Königstraße 36
30175 Hannover
Germany
www.kdschmid.de

 

Julia Albrecht (Director)
julia.albrecht@kdschmid.de
+49 (0)511 3660739

Jan-Christian Nauck (Associate Director of Coordination)
jan-christian.nauck@kdschmid.de
+49 (0)511 3660722