DEUTSCHE KAMMERPHILHARMONIE BREMEN
SALZBURG WHITSUN FESTIVAL

“The Whitsun Festival owes the other great Mozart conducting performance to Paavo Järvi … The nuanced gradation of different types of allegro (majestic or lively) alone reveals this conductor’s empathy and intelligence. In the Andante cantabile of the ‘Jupiter Symphony’, he takes the opening quite gesturally, as if a figure is entering a space that is alien to it, marvelling and shy. As in the Beethoven cycle, which still sets the standard today, the harmonic structure and the woodwinds with their breath determine the tempo and phrasing: you can hear it when Järvi has the whole orchestra align itself with a chromatic upward movement of the solo bassoon.”
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Jan Brachmann, 21 May 2024

“… Paavo Järvi has been the orchestra’s artistic director for twenty years – an extremely fruitful and apparently still inspiring liaison. Even Mozart’s well-known ‘Jupiter’ and ‘Paris’ symphonies seem to have been born in the moment. The tempi are sharpened without the music seeming overheated, the articulation is incredibly light-footed and the differentiated use of vibrato is almost playful and enjoyable.”
Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Marco Frey, 21 May 2024

“It absolutely doesn’t have to be 22 violins, eight cellos and five violas and double basses: Wolfgang Amadeus was able to enjoy such a line-up for his Symphony in D major KV 300a (297) Pariser once in his life. A good half of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie on Saturday afternoon was more than enough to ensure that no impact was missed in the Grosse Festspielhaus … Paavo Järvi inspired his orchestra, which was playing in a classical setting, from the beginning of the Allegro assai and also unobtrusively integrated the natural trumpets harmoniously into the overall sound.”
Drehpunktkultur.com, Horst Reischenböck, 19 May 2024

“(Mozart) Symphonies 31 and 41 are performed as a witty and even prickly conversation. An infectious, lightning-quick speech in sound, a kind of Harnoncourt on speed.”
Münchner Merkur, Markus Thiel, 20 May 2024

“Very light-footed and transparent, the conductor let the orchestra dance into the first movement of the symphony in D major and out again in the final Allegro. In the Symphony in C major, Järvi also chose an accurate and relaxed approach with fun tempo. Mozart is clear, sometimes very accurate and fresh, the conductor and his orchestra agreed.”
APA, Larissa Schütz, 20 May 2024

MÜNCHNER PHILHARMONIKER

MAHLER: Kindertotenlieder
ROTT: Symphony No. 1
with Okka von der Damerau, mezzo-soprano

“An interpretation (of Hans Rott Symphony No. 2) from the top view, brilliantly played … Järvi, the confident craftsman, keeps the symphony running hot until the single (!) cymbal hit towards the end.”

“ … Järvi and the Philharmonic are filigree workers, shaping the five pieces (Mahler Kindertotenlieder) into a fine, transparent web … An interpretation between cleverly controlled lyricism and a lush stream of sound … That sounds more like resignation – and yet does not deny the (deceptive) beauty of these songs.”
Münchner Merker, Markus Thiel, 9 May 2024

Rott’s Symphony No. 2 “ … demands the impossible of the brass players: to play lyrically all the time. The Munich Philharmonic masters this in an astonishing way. Paavo Järvi seems to believe in the piece, though it lacks contrasts. And that is the decisive prerequisite for a performance of this piece.c The final cymbal crash may not be in the score, but it is consistent. An orchestra like the Munich Philharmonic, which has an equally great Mahler and Bruckner tradition, would do well to put this work up for discussion …”
Abendzeitung München, Robert Braunmüller, 10 May 2024

DEUTSCHE KAMMERPHILHARMONIE BREMEN

SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 2
BRAHMS: Violin Concerto
SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 1
with Veronika Eberle, violin

“When Paavo Järvi conducts the Viennese Classics, the symphonies develop an energy that even their composers would probably not have dared to dream of 200 years ago. He has already demonstrated this with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie in his Beethoven project, but also in many rarely performed Haydn symphonies – most recently on Wednesday in the Elbphilharmonie with the first two symphonies of Franz Schubert … The violin concerto in D major op. 77 by Brahms sounded no less great … With the slim line-up of the Kammerphilharmonie, the symphonic work, which otherwise seemed so pithy and massive, lost all of its gravity, and Eberle was able to brilliantly reveal all the nuances of her complex violin part.”
Hamburger Abendblatt, Helmut Peters, 12 April 2024

“Paavo Järvi’s music-making at the highest level, in its immediacy, its inner consistency, combined with the orchestra’s outstanding preparation and excellent knowledge of the score, brought to life a precision of interpretation that has threatened to be lost in recent years, almost acquiring a slightly pejorative flavour. The same applies to the interpretation of the Second Symphony … Järvi is reaping the rewards of his intensive work with the Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, which has now lasted 20 years. Everything Järvi undertakes, whether the complete symphonies of Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms or now Haydn, is honoured with prestigious awards worldwide … ”
Klassik.com, Michael Pitz-Grewenig, 13 April 2024

LONDON PHILHARMONIC

STRAVINSKY: Violin Concerto
BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 7
with Leila Josefowicz, violin

“Järvi’s Bruckner scarcely has an equal today (listen to his superlative recordings with the Zürich Tonhalle orchestra) and this Seventh might, in the composer’s bicentenary year, have begun to melt the most stubborn sceptic’s heart .. Järvi makes Bruckner sound simultaneously modern and ancient; earthbound but airborne too.”
The Arts Desk, Boyd Tonkin, 8 April 2024

“The coda of the final movement was particularly thrilling … Rapturous applause all round at the end, especially for the Wagner tuba players – and for Paavo Järvi. Hopefully Järvi will return to the London concert stage soon – perhaps with Bruckner’s Eighth?”
seenandheard international.com, John Rhodes, 8 April 2024

HONG KONG PHILHARMONIC

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Capriccio Espagnol
STRAVINSKY: Violin Concerto
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 5
with Alena Baeva, violin

“Anything that remotely hinted at capriciousness came with biting sarcasm after the interval, as Järvi and the orchestra gave a chilling account of Dimitri Shostakovich’s Symphony no. 5. Not long into the opening Moderato, it was clear that this musical journey wouldn’t be a walk in the park … The piece finished with brilliant brass fanfares. But did they mark true victory or mocking bravado? Given Järvi’s shattering rendition, the latter is more likely.”

South China Morning Post, Christopher Halls, 1 April 2024

PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA

DEBUSSY: Prélude à l’Après-midi d’un faune
CONNESSON: Concerto Da Requiem (Concerto for Organ and Orchestra) U.S. premiere
PROKOFIEV: Symphony no. 5
with Christian Schmitt, organ

“… the Estonian conductor pulled out the stops with a performance (of Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony) that gained depth and eloquence as it unfurled and raced boldly to a breathtaking conclusion.”

Concertonet.com, Linda Holt, 23 March 2024

“Järvi brought a baton dipped in acid to the Prokofiev, leading an account that dripped with sarcasm, resentment and edge. In constant motion on the podium, he produced a sound that felt refreshingly unfamiliar to longtime followers of this orchestra: an almost unbearable brightness in the violins that contrasted the despairing depths of the low strings and brass; an added sense of weight in the woodwind playing; a jolting barrage of percussion, from explosive timpani to unsettling snare. The roiling piano interjections in the Allegro marcato felt almost demonic here.”

Bachtrack.com, Cameron Kelsall, 22 March 2024

CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

BEETHOVEN: “Leonore” Overture No. 3
ELGAR: Cello concerto
NIELSEN: Symphony no. 5
with Sheku Kanneh-Mason
, cello

“Järvi led the the CSO in a blazing performance (Beethoven Leonore Overture No. 3) of the sort that, were it placed at the end of a concert, would pull an audience from its seats in a rapturous ovation. As it was, this feverish Beethoven set the tone for precision interplay between conductor and orchestra.”
Chicago on the aisle, Lawrence B. Johnson, 27 February 2024

“… from the first notes the orchestra sounded refreshed, energized and vital under the precise and inspiring baton of Paavo Järvi … For a piece as familiar as this, Järvi led a notably fresh, taut and crackling account that had a bristling immediacy and sense of theatrical greasepaint … Paavo Järvi is especially inspired in music of Northern and Eastern Europe and he directed a masterful, acutely concentrated account of Nielsen’s challenging score (Symphony No. 5) … The musicians clearly enjoyed playing this music under Järvi and there were smiles aplenty from the string first desks in the whirling craziness of the final section.”
Chicago Classical Review, Lawrence A. Johnson, 16 February 2024

TONHALLE-ORCHESTER ZÜRICH
MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 5

“The start of a new Mahler cycle passed its baptism of fire with flying colours in Zürich …

Järvi frees the music from its predominantly highly emotional, sometimes overly obsessive and intoxicating navel-gazing. His priority is to reveal the architecture of the monstrous symphony, to show edge and texture with clear movements and clockwork precision, to understand the score as a great whole to which the individual parts must conform … The marvellous Tonhalle Orchestra and conductor are perfectly attuned, artistically congenial partners. A stirring start has been made, and we can look forward to the sequel.”

Online Merker, Ingobert Walter, 5 February, 2024

A highly personal and outstanding interpretation … quite visceral, decidedly expressive, a touch virulent, as if spoken from the gut, with all one’s soul … The Adagietto, very measured and concise, without softness, showed Järvi’s meticulous work, capable of delving into great dynamism and intensity, while at the same time being incisive in tempi. The Estonian mesmerised with the Rondo-Finale, hardly pausing for breath, breathless, overwhelming at times.

Platea, Alejandro Martinez, 11 February 2024

“Paavo Järvi and the Zurich Philharmonic gave a committed, intense and musical performance. The maestro gives meaning to this landmark work in the repertoire with a clear reading. He knows his score intimately and knows what he wants to achieve … ”

Crescendo.be, Thimothée Grandjean, 5 February 2024

ESTONIAN FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA
EUROPEAN TOUR – JANUARY 2024

When Järvi performs Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 1 with his Estonian Festival Orchestra … you can enjoy the lively, gestural, springy musical style, the rhetorical power of this well-thought-out, yet extremely spontaneous interpretation … Järvi also brought the Estonian strings to golden, red and white embers in Jean Sibelius’ fervently driven “Andanto festivo”.
Die Presse, Walter Weidringer, 26 January 2024

The entire ensemble was dramatic, engaged and played as if with one bow, producing a gripping, deeply-grounded sound … Järvi gave the finale in particular full opportunity to breathe and with it his audience the chance to take in the orchestra’s lovely sound. Energetic yet grounded, dramatic yet generous, there is little more that can be asked for from a night in the Konzerthaus, or from an orchestra in it.
Bachtrack.com, Chanda VanderHart, 26 January 2024

From the phenomenally clean, contoured strings alone, you realise in the first few seconds that this is not just a good performance, but one that has been carefully rehearsed. Järvi does not rely solely on precision, but also creates an infinite palette of moods, lively, sweeping, powerfully compact … Because everyone pulls together, Paavo Järvi is able to push the extremes incredibly far apart, mystical murmurs in slow motion are cut hard against passages at ludicrous speed, in between which the music breaks off again and again in a mysterious way.
Abendzeitung, Michael Bastian Weiss, 27 January 2024

TONHALLE-ORCHESTER ZÜRICH
SUMMER 2023 FESTIVALS

BBC PROMS

BEETHOVEN: The Consecration of the House Overture
TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto
DVORÁK: Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”
with Augustin Hadelich

“… when the performances (of Dvorak’s New World Symphony and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto) are as sharp and fresh as those on offer from the versatile Estonian Paavo Jarvi and his Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich, it really does feel as if you might be hearing these mighty warhorses for the very first time.”
The Times, Geoff Brown, 31 August 2023

“Dvorak’s symphony sounded more than usually fresh and forceful, with an additional layer of sonic enchantment. The piece is full of colours that often sweep by unnoticed … There they all were, quivering under the magnifying glass of the Zürich/Jarvi sound, while the chords that support the famous cor anglais solo were so hushed and tender that you held your breath. A formidable display of soft power.”
The Spectator, Richard Bratby, 9 September 2023

“Dressing old favourites anew, brushing away cobwebs, was the heartbeat of this concert. Nothing was ordinary or routine … Järvi’s magnificent reading (of Dvorak’s New World Symphony) floored me. This was a golden account of the daring-to-risk variety, the stakes high … Järvi’s discreet rubatos and commas, his trademark control of tempo and time changes, the cultured way he welds and cadences structure – globally and internally – lifted events to a quite extraordinary degree. The stuff of memory.“
Classicalsource.com, Ateş Orga, 1 September 2023

“Järvi, together with his splendid orchestra, ensured that this magnificent Overture’s ceremonial, ornamental, transporting and exhilarating aspects were in place – plenty of detail, distinctive timbres, and singular purpose.”
Colin’s Column, Colin Anderson, 31 August 2023

GEORGE ENESCU FESTIVAL

BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 9

“The contrasts between the fulminating brass and the at times soft, floating strings were commanding in the reading, the chordal clashes of the same strings stirred the spirits, the overwhelming tutti with percussion and brass in the foreground unsettling. There was a logic to the reading and interpretation of the score of this great symphonist that was Anton Bruckner, and the combination of Swiss musicians and their Estonian conductor was unforgettable.”
Adevarul, Costin Popa, 11 September 2023

“The musicians of the Tonhalle Zürich give a very fine performance, with many contrasts and fine nuances, and play as passionately and intensely as ever. Paavo Järvi shows his musicians the way with clarity and dedication. Time stood still at the end of the symphony, where silence reigned before the audience warmly applauded the artists for this very fine performance.”
Crescendo.be, Thimothée Grandjean, 6 September 2023

“ Paavo Järvi displayed perfection, leading a superb orchestra (Tonhalle) through Symphony no. 9 … It’s hard to say what was more beautiful: the perfect brasses, the percussion very present in this work, the strings with an immersive texture… the Tonhalle remains one of the best orchestras heard in the Enescu Festival, just like in the 2021 edition. And much of the credit, if not all, goes to Paavo Järvi as music director …”
Despre Opera, 7 September 2023

PRAGUE DVORAK FESTIVAL

DVOŘÁK: Cello Concerto
DVOŘÁK: Symphony No. 9 “From the new World“
with Anastasia Kobekina, cello

“… In Paavo Järvi’s hands, the New World Symphony came to life in an unprecedented experience. The players followed their chief conductor, known for his affection for Czech music, to all corners of Dvořák’s world … It was one of the most interesting interpretations of this symphony – playful, joyful, dancing, lovely, full of energy and an intoxicating sound.”
Novinky, Právo, 8 September 2023

“Järvi brought the New World Symphony to a perfect gradation, the orchestra to the limit of its possibilities and the audience to the boil … Järvi has matured into an unrivaled conducting personality with a deep understanding of the interpreted work and a relaxed stage presence, and Dvořák’s Novosvětská has no weak spot, it breaks hearts and shakes the knees.”
Harmonie, Martin Jemelka, 8 September 2023

“This concert raised the question as to why the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich is not more widely recognised as one of the most distinguished orchestras. The superb performance was spiced up by its conductor with a tasteful, superior measure of expressiveness, blended with the necessary ingredient of momentary inspiration. Nothing stilted or outmoded. Järvi’s performance of Dvořák’s Ninth ranks among the most unforgettable.”
Klasikplus, Daniel Pinc, 8 September 2023