Ruben Gazarian

Weilburger Schlosskonzerte 2016 

• Joseph Haydn Symphony No. in F minor Hob I:49 „La Passione“
• Jean-Baptiste Janson: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in D major op. 6/1
• Johann Christian Bach: Concerto for Cello, Strings and Basso continuo in C minor
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in G minor K. 550

• Valentin Radutiu, Cello
• Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn

• This concert hall is a legend, a stroke of genius in terms of acoustics. Every year it lures the best orchestras in the world to Amsterdam. On July 16, 2014, the luminously sensual sound of the Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn under the baton of its music director Ruben Gazarian filled the Amsterdam Concertgebouw—with two works for string orchestra that celebrate the fascinating variety of sounds and power of expression that this complement of instruments is capable of producing.
• Benjamin Britten succeeds in his Simple Symphony in a simple but witty way: He quotes and develops his own first attempts at composition, which had been sitting in his drawer for years. He assigns fanciful titles like “Playful Pizzicato” and “Sentimental Saraband” to the four movements, and he parades a whole catalog of tone colors of strings.
• The Serenade op. 28, composed in 1880, is Peter I. Tchaikovsky’s loving homage to the great Mozart, who established the genre. “It is warmed by feeling and, as I hope, of real value,” the composer said about his work. Derived from the Italian adjective sereno, the genre promises a melodic language akin to a clear, bright sky (especially at night). It comes in handy for “One Night in Amsterdam – WKO Live at Concertgebouw.”
• A fascinating document in sound, a precious and authentic acoustic snapshot enriching the multi-faceted discography of the WKO and Ruben Gazarian.

(A production of the WKO Heilbronn ©2015 // For sale only at the orchestra’s subscription concerts in Heilbronn or by order from info@wko-heilbronn.de)

• In late January 2016 the WKO Heilbronn under the direction of Ruben Gazarian toured Spain. On three nights in Madrid, Burgos, and Zaragoza, works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Divertimento in F, K. 138; and Piano Concerto no. 12 in A, K. 414, with Alexander Schimpf as soloist), Hugo Wolf (Italian Serenade), and Antonín Dvořák (Serenade for Strings) were heard. The appearances aroused the audiences’ unanimous, enthusiastic acclaim—at the Great Hall of the Auditorio Nacional in the Spanish capital, at the Auditorio de Caja Circulo in Burgos, and at the Great Hall (Sala Mozart) of the Auditorio de Zaragoza.
• The reviewer of Heraldo de Aragon judged: “The sound of the well-attuned strings is clean and nuanced, with much sense of acoustic balance in the tutti passages [of the Mozart] and also in those passages where the strings blend with the pianist. Already carried away into a romantic mood by the preceding piece, the musicians tackled the Czech’s composer’s [Dvořák’s] compilation of reminiscences of folk themes with elegant assurance. It is appealing and effective music that Gazarian conducted with much attention to the contrasts between the euphoric and nostalgic feelings that characterize this work. In the Larghetto the musicians displayed utmost subtlety in their bowing in order to express the depth of the pain, which is compensated in the subsequent final movement, Allegro vivace, by surging joy and the rhythmic play of the voices, transmitting the joy of life.”
• 

  WKO Heilbronn and Ruben Gazarian in Auditorio de Zaragoza    Photo: Hans Georg Fischer and Martin Windhorst

• Two weeks after the official launch of the 2016 season at the enthusiastically received New Year’s Day concert, the new subscription series has begun as well—with a soirée completely under the auspices of Mendelssohn: besides the Hebrides overture, the Violin Concerto in E minor (soloist: Alexandra Soumm) and the Third Symphony (“Scottish”) were performed.
• After Julian Rachlin had figured as artist-in-residence in 2015, Sharon Kam could be won over for the present season. The new season of the Georgisches Kammerorchester (Georgian Chamber Orchestra; GKO) holds in store many more musical highlights with a wide repertory and great soloists. Likewise, the GKO’s busy recording schedule, begun last year, will continue under the direction of Ruben Gazarian; new CD productions are forthcoming.
• Here is the link to a video clip from Ingolstadt’s local TV station INTV about the opening concert of the 2016 subscription series

In November 2015, Ruben Gazarian conducted a concert series of the WKO Heilbronn and Vesselina Kasarova. The program with the star singer was presented within the subscription series in Heilbronn and also in Osnabrück, Braunschweig, Erlangen, and Ludwigsburg.

• “Just as much Vesselina Kasarova charges her rendition of Vitellia’s recitative and aria from La clemenza di Tito with drama, conductor Ruben Gazarian charges his Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn with tension. There everything is concise and powerful, and the finale from Luigi Boccherini’s symphony ‘La Casa del Diavolo’ makes the spirits of hell dance in a really devilish manner.”
• (Ludwigsburger Kreiszeitung)
• “The interpretation of two operatic overtures by Mozart and Rossini demonstrated in an impressive manner in what an appropriate, differentiated, and also perceptive manner this Swabian ensemble is capable of presenting works of distinguished composer of different eras. The vigorous Ruben Gazarian, who has been successfully leading his “Württembergers” as their artistic director through international concert halls since 2002, warrants it. (…) The musicians and their energetic conductor Gazarian with his wide repertory of gestures have understood to transmit the melancholic character (of Mozart’s G minor symphony) with its moments of resignation convincingly. (…) The subsequent Andante made a deep impression. Especially in the highly dramatic finale, the orchestra succeeded in making this, one of the most significant works of symphonic literature, accessible to the Erlangen audience through joy of play, intensity, expressiveness, and originality.”
• (Erlanger Nachrichten)
• “The instrumentalists from Württemberg, with their delicate blend of sounds and subtle dynamic shades, are Kasarova’s congenial partners. In Mozart’s Symphony no. 40 in G minor, conductor Ruben Gazarian juxtaposes to great effect the brusque eruptions of the finale with the Landler-like coziness in the trio of the minuet. Lots of applause.”
• (Braunschweiger Zeitung)

Copyright: Suzanne Schwiertz

Just a few months after their first CD production, the second disc of the Georgisches Kammerorchester (Georgian Chamber Orchestra) Ingolstadt has been released in early November 2015. In contrast to its predecessor, this new album is a compilation focusing on one composer only: Bohuslav Martinů. You will find more detailed comments on the CD’s content under “Discography.” Again, the label ARS-Produktion released the recording as a hybrid CD/SACD with high-quality multichannel sound. The review on the web portal HighResolutionAudio.net is here.