The concerts by Le Concert des Nations and La Capella Nacional de Catalunya, conducted by the Maestro, were praised for their interpretative quality and attention to detail.
Vienna, July 1, 2025 — Jordi Savall has just completed the very first full cycle of Beethoven’s symphonies ever performed at Vienna’s Konzerthaus. On this occasion, the Konzerthaus named him an Honorary Member, in recognition of his artistic career and his close relationship with this prestigious institution. Leading Le Concert des Nations and La Capella Nacional de Catalunya, the project – conceived with a historically informed approach using period instruments – was warmly received by both the audience and several Austrian specialist press.
According to the magazine Pizzicato (28.06.2025), Savall concluded the cycle with “a powerful, moving, and vibrant Beethoven.” The article notes that Le Concert des Nations “performed with a small symphonic string formation” and that the ensemble “showed – from the whisper of chamber music to the broad yet contained sound of the fortissimo – just how meticulously these works had been rehearsed.” It also highlights “the attention to detail with which the musicians brought Beethoven to life.”
As for the participation of La Capella Nacional de Catalunya, Pizzicato emphasizes that, although the choir consisted of only 36 voices, it “was able to perform the ‘Ode to Joy’ and the ‘Beyond the starry heavens’ with power and conviction,” adding that “they even sang from memory, which gave them greater freedom of movement.”
Die Presse (28.06.2025) also praised the choir’s performance, which “filled the Great Hall with a lightness and a sonic volume, an enthusiasm, an energy, and a joy of singing that were almost tangible,” directly linking it to “the audience’s final enthusiasm” after Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
The daily Kurier (28.06.2025) noted that “the ovations seemed endless” and focused on the expressive nature of Savall’s conducting, stating that “he leads his orchestra into impetuous and powerful outbursts.” It also added that “Savall conducts his choir […] with emotion through Schiller’s ‘Ode to Joy’” and that the voices “sound balanced.” Savall himself said: “If people listened to this symphony every day, there would be peace.”
Finally, Klassik Begeistert (28.06.2025) praised the performance of the quartet of soloists, with a special mention for soprano Lina Johnson for her “deeply moving pianissimo at the end,” as well as the choir’s rendition of Schiller’s “Ode,” which was sung “with contagious joy, from memory, and above all, with eloquence.”
This Beethoven cycle marks a new milestone in Jordi Savall’s international career and in his musical project to rediscover 19th-century repertoire using period instruments, underlining the continuing artistic and expressive relevance of this legacy – from a contemporary perspective and with deep fidelity to the language of its time.
The next stop for Le Concert des Nations will be on August 1 at the Salzburg Festival, with Schubert’s final symphonies No. 8 and 9.
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