Lucerne Festival Orchestra 6

It was a revelation. At last summer’s festival, Seong-Jin Cho stepped in at short notice to replace Sir András Schiff, who was ill, and performed Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto. The young South Korean pianist, who has long been revered like a pop star in his homeland, drew completely unexpected sounds and counterpoints from the much-played work. And yet it never seemed forced but sounded organic and natural. He was promptly invited back. And so we now move on to Beethoven’s Third. On the podium will be Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who continues his Bruckner explorations with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra with the popular Romantic. They have previously performed the Eighth and Seventh together, creating moments of musical magic. Nézet-Séguin has the right timing for this composer: He lets the music flow and unfold freely, making you forget the daily grind and the passage of time. The chemistry between him and the orchestra works on a human level, too: the musicians love this unorthodox maestro with his vivid analogies and enjoyable rehearsals, where a strong sense of community emerges. It’s something you can hear.