On February 24th, 25th, and 26th, Maestro Hartmut Haenchen, newly bestowed with the title of Honorary Conductor of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra (NedPhO), took to the conductor's podium at both Het Concertgebouw and Tivolivredenburg. Under his baton, the orchestra performed a remarkable program, including Willem Jeths' "Mors Aeterna" and Bruckner's Ninth Symphony.
Peter van der Lint, in his review for Trouw, provided insightful commentary on both the program and the pieces performed.
Willem Jeths' Mors aeterna , a preliminary study for his Requiem [...] fitted so well with Bruckner's last, unfinished symphony...Haenchen clearly loves Jeths' music. He previously conducted this Mors aeterna in an empty hall due to corona, and he successfully introduced it in Genoa. In 2022, Haenchen also preceded the performance of Bruckner's Eighth Symphony in Amsterdam with an orchestral work by Jeths, his Scale. [...] Jeths plays with the contrast of enormous hammer blows (borrowed from Mahler's Sixth Symphony ) and the high, silent sound of a wet finger over the edge of a glass. In Mors aeterna the deepest bass tone of the large organ is also added, and at the beginning the lowest note of the harp is masterfully combined with contrabassoon and tam-tam. It remains a fascinating composition. (Peter van der Lint, February 25, 2024)
You can read the full review on Trouw:
The entire concert was broadcasted by NPO Klassiek and is available for streaming via the following link:
