Wiener Symphoniker / Petr Popelka

During the finale of the previous Queen Elisabeth Competition for cello, jury member Gautier Capuçon was confronted with three performances of Antonín Dvořák’s cello concerto in a single week. So it will be interesting to hear how the French superstar has been able to enrich his own interpretation of this canonical work. At the helm of the Wiener Symphoniker, conductor Petr Popelka balances out the unbridled drama of Dvořák with a generous dash of sardonic humour, in which the cheerfulness might sit uncomfortably. Because regardless of how lusty and flirtatious Tijl Eulenspiegel and Don Juan may sound with Strauss, the inappropriate behaviour to which they give voice is difficult to smooth over today. A problem that the conductor certainly does not swerve in his musical narration, and which shows that this music is also still relevant today.