“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 {…}
"At the head of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Finnish Klaus Mäkelä is the youngest conductor to have recorded all seven Sibelius symphonies ... It is clear that the result is a masterpiece.
Mäkelä brings to the fore a rhythmic rigour and depth that is perceptible as early as the First Symphony ... Never one-dimensional, his conducting triumphs in Symphony No. 3, which is {…}
Still in his twenties, the Oslo Philharmonic’s Chief Conductor Klaus Mäkelä is remarkably clear-sighted about what he wants to achieve and how – even after lockdown required a different approach to recording his debut album of the Sibelius symphonies, writes Andrew Mellor.
Sweet are the uses of adversity. Klaus Mäkelä’s inaugural season as Chief Conductor of the Oslo {…}
"Mäkelä’s tautly focused direction, alert cueing and meticulous balancing drew a riveting performance of kaleidoscopic brilliance and whipcrack energy that made the strongest possible case for Hillborg’s music."
"The major work on the program was another, much more familiar showpiece, Stravinsky’s The Firebird … Here too, Mäkelä was completely on top of {…}
“This is an incredible cycle. It’s fiery and at times introspective and I think that where it really succeeds is in creating the sense that the landscape of all seven of Sibelius’ symphonies is one unified terrain, across which Mäkelä is able to send different emotional psychological weather patterns – but he keeps the sense of one unified terrain at the heart of it … An {…}
