Hartmut Haenchen and NNO in Drachten superior in Richard Strauss. Still to be seen in Groningen | review ★★★☆☆

Gustav Mahler lost many brothers and sisters at a young age, which in turn led him to set these poems to music. After the death of his own daughter (and another later, incidentally), Mahler no longer programmed this song cycle.

Infant mortality used to be much more common, but that doesn’t make it any less bad. For singers and orchestras, including among themselves, it is a challenge to strike the right mood in this cycle of five songs. It’s about the degree of drama, lyricism and so on. And, of course, for modesty and defeat.

It remained restless

Was this repertoire in good hands with the North Netherlands Orchestra? Permanent guest conductor Hartmut Haenchen controlled the lyricism and richness of sound in the orchestra, but was unable to bind the orchestra’s share as a whole. It remained restless.

The Australian mezzo-soprano Caitlin Hulcup, who is spreading her wings internationally, in turn did not come up with an interpretation that matched Haenchen’s lyrical course. Her emphasis was too much on storytelling. Many texts did not seem to come ‘from within’. She reached some higher-lying passages with extra decibels, which created an opera-like effect for a while.

A successful blacksmith

The more optimistic tint Thus spake Zarathustra by Richard Strauss was a fitting counterpart. All the more so because Mahler had also immersed himself in the underlying philosophical matter. Main characters are man and nature. Haenchen and the NNO were superior.

From the introductory rolls, also known for Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A space odyssey until it Song of the wandering night watchman was it hit. Exciting, colorful and never falling apart into parts. Here Haenchen turned out to be Wagners’ successful blacksmith The Ring of the Nibelungen in Amsterdam.

Wonderful subtleties

Mahlers acted as the opening piece of this concert Blumine originally incidental music that the composer later gave a place in his First Symphony . Haenchen elicited wonderful subtleties from the orchestra, but was unable to prevent the strings from engulfing the woodwinds every now and then.