Classical Music: Mozart Symphonies 35,40,36

Mozart Symphonies

Symphony No. 35, 'Haffner'; No 36, 'Linz'; 40 in G Minor
Plus improvisations from Peltokoski on themes from the three symphonies.

Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
Tarmo Peltokoski
Deutsche Gramophon DG 4865744

More information here

This is an astonishing new release from Deutsche Gramophon and 24-year-old Finnish conductor Tarmo Peltokoski, the Principal Guest Conductor of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, Bremen. It is Peltokoski’s DG debut recording, and an ebullient and stunning one at that.

People already recognise Tarmo Peltokoski as one of the world's top-flight conductors, dubbed "the Finnish wonder-conductor" and "a talent of a century" by Tagesspiegel. His knowledge and versatility allow him to move between the concert hall and the opera house—he conducted his first full Ring cycle at 22—in a repertoire that ranges from classical to contemporary. 

We get three Mozart symphonies (Nos. 35—Haffner—40—and 36—Linz)—nothing unusual or astonishing about that, although I don’t want to sound condescending, but for a young conductor, they are exhilarating and charismatic performances.

We also get to hear Peltokoski’s skill as an improvisator. After symphonies 35 and 40 but before 36, he improvises jazz-inspired key themes from the symphonies on the piano, and they are delightful and show off his virtuosic skill. He also uses a theme from the Magic Flute, to electrifying and striking effect. I enjoyed them, despite the possibility that some might consider them sacrilegious. My only observation is that his fingers have hardly lifted from the piano keys on his improvisation on Linz themes; the sound barely dissipated before he raised his baton and the orchestra plunges directly into the symphony; a longer pause would have been beneficial.

What about the symphonies? Some fast tempos, but overall an excellent reading, with the musicians responding superbly to his direction. The balance is first-rate, capturing all the minutiae. The quieter movements are expressive, with lots of colour, phrasing, textures, and well-judged attacks. There is depth to Peltokoski’s interpretation, and he encourages captivating performances.

A fearless conductor who appears to embrace challenges and take calculated risks. I want to hear more.