When a violinist makes a debut with a top orchestra like the Berliner Philharmoniker, it’s no easy task. After all, seated around them are more than two dozen violinists who often perform as soloists themselves — and who listen with correspondingly sharp ears. All the more remarkable, then, was Augustin Hadelich’s first appearance with the “Berliners” in 2021: the wish to perform with him actually came from within the orchestra itself — a true badge of honor. Since then, a deeply rewarding artistic partnership has taken shape, and it’s no surprise that they’re now heading out on tour together, playing nothing less than the most beloved violin concerto of them all: Beethoven’s. In the second half, however, Chief Conductor Kirill Petrenko offers a real discovery. Alexander Scriabin’s unusual Third Symphony, bearing the beautiful subtitle Le Divin Poème (“The Divine Poem”), draws on Nietzsche and revolves around the creative power of humanity — which, in the final of its three movements, breaks its chains and triumphs in joy. With an enormous orchestral apparatus, Scriabin unleashes a genuinely rapturous flood of sound.
