Germany Shostakovich Festival Leipzig [5]: Gautier Capuçon (cello), Festival Orchestra / Anna Rakitina (conductor), Gewandhaus, Leipzig. 19.5.2025. (GT)
Shostakovich – Cello Concerto No.2 in G major, Op.126; Symphony No.5 in D minor, Op 47
The Festival Orchestra was formed in 2018 as a joint project between the Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Boston Symphony as a youth programme between the Leipzig’s Mendelssohn Music Academy and Tanglewood Music Centre. The Shostakovich Festival in 2025 involves forty young US musicians coming to Leipzig to learn nine orchestral works by the composer and to experience the performing methodology of both orchestras in their programmes. The American students take part in an intensive training programme every summer while the German students work with the Gewandhaus Orchestra through two concert seasons. They also assimilate the performing styles of each country’s orchestra.
Anna Rakitina was born in Moscow to a Ukrainian father and Russian mother and studied conducting there with Stanislav Dyachenko, and later in Hamburg with Ulrich Windfuhr. She has worked with orchestras both in the United States and in Europe collaborating with many world-class musicians. Rakitina was the Assistant Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra between 2019 and 2023 and also a Dudamel Fellow at the Los Angeles Philharmonic between 2019 and 2020.
The opening bars of the cello concerto’s first movement (Largo) were darkly ominous from the strings, yet the lightness of Capuçon’s cello brought a graceful solemnity Alongside his geniality, there were fairy-tale sounds from the woodwind and by the horn, yet the overwhelming mood was fateful and nocturnal. The second movement (Allegretto) opened with a cheeky solo passage from Capuçon matched by the bassoon and the clarinet. The third movement (Allegretto) opened gracefully on the two horns and there emerged a glorious idea on the cello which was picked up by the orchestra, and notably by the harp and the flute in a passage of magnificent orchestral playing. Then everything came to a delightful close with subdued orchestral colours and in the cello.
In the great Fifth Symphony, surprisingly the young conductor ignored the use of a score, hopefully a sign she knows it inside out, but from someone of her experience and for such a significant event, it could have been a mistake. However, Ratkitina led an outstanding performance of this great symphony, coaxing every nuance of expression from the musicians. The orchestra embraces European orchestral seating with divided violins: I was impressed in the opening movement (Moderato) by the level of performance with excellent playing from the clarinet, beautiful string intonation and an admirable shift of dynamics – with Ratkitina able to building tension impressively – distinguished by excellent brass playing.
In the second movement (Allegretto) the double bass group produced great depth in playing while the young tuba player, Vivian Kung, was excellent in her infrequent contributions (the first time I have witnessed a female player on the tuba!). The first violin solo was excellently performed and was a highlight of the concert. The third movement (Largo) was distinguished by beautiful flute playing; the two harps were excellent in their invocation of a chilling silence and there was a virtuosic oboe solo passage. In the finale (Allegro non troppo) the thunderous timpani and grand casa and the low strings were magical and in general the culmination was notable for the terrific ensemble playing, especially the woodwind.
In all, the performance standards on this evening were very high; and in such repertoire with the challenging transformations in dynamics of performance in different demanding passages, the young musicians showed they have all the potential for successful future careers. On its own, this was an outstanding achievement for the orchestra and its talented conductor and a highlight of the Shostakovich Festival Leipzig.
Gregor Tassie
Featured Image: Anna Rakitina conducts the Festival Orchestra © Konrad Stöhr
Gorgeous second violinist sitting in front.