"An ovation for Lisa Batiashvili, who, together with Mäkelä and the orchestra, which was rhythmically and tonally very alert at every moment under his clear direction, impressively fulfilled Shostakovich's concerto in all aspects, from deep sadness and bleak bitterness to crass outbursts of rage and wild raging ...
And then Mahler's First: Klaus Mäkelä, with all the versatility {…}
"No matter which Sibelius symphony you hear, and however well known, in a great interpretation it always sounds absolutely fresh and fathomlessly deep. So it was with this brilliantly lit Fifth, so radiant from the pairs of woodwind at the start before the retreat into meandering mystery, pppp, tremolos so intense they brought tears to the eyes and a perfectly gauged crescendo to the {…}
Oslo Philharmonic – Sibelius cycle at Elbphilharmonie Hamburg
"Klaus Mäkelä and his top orchestra from Oslo make the encounter with the symphonies of Jean Sibelius - still criminally neglected in Germany - an event. A sensational guest performance."
NDR Kultur, Marcus Stäbler, 2 June 2022
"Mäkelä's Sibelius is not a dusty old master from the early 20th century that has to be laboriously decluttered in order to be saved. He is vital {…}
Oslo Philharmonic – Sibelius cycle at Konzerthaus Wien
"None of the seven Sibelius symphonies has been performed more than 20 times in the Konzerthaus, the Sixth only twice. After this moving evening it became clear: we are neglecting one of the great symphonists of the 20th century."
Die Presse, Dávid Gajdos, 22 May 2022
"The occasion was a precious opportunity to deepen Mäkelä's vision of Sibelius and the result not only {…}
“Mäkelä does not imitate anyone, and it could even be said that he does not remind you of anyone. He has his own ideas and a very clear concept of how symphonic Sibelius should sound. The woodwinds and the low strings - both essential in the orchestral writing of his compatriot - always have the necessary density and sonorous presence. The post-romantic heritage is sifted by a {…}
"This performance of Mahler's Third Symphony proved to be masterful from start to finish. Throughout the six movements, the orchestra, charged to the max, appeared to be of an exceptional level, without any weakness and with total commitment. And the tension constantly instilled by Klaus Mäkelä pushes it to its limits, but without ever breaking apart.""From the first movement {…}
