World premiere in the Elbphilharmonie: Gardiner impresses with a new ensemble!

World premiere in the Elbphilharmonie: Gardiner impresses with a new ensemble!

In a brilliant start, British conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner gave his first concert with his newly founded ensembles in the Elbphilharmonie on Saturday evening. The Constellation Choir & Orchestra's performance, which focused on Christmas baroque music by Marc-Antoine Charpentier and Johann Sebastian Bach, received a standing ovation from the audience. Gardiner, the historic conductor, led the concert after a long collaboration with the Monteverdi Choir. This split came to light after an incident last season that caused a stir in the press, when Gardiner slapped a singer.

Despite the controversy, Gardiner clearly enjoyed the favor of the audience, who gave him and his musicians applause for several minutes. The organizers responded to the delay caused by storm “Darragh” with a free drink for the spectators. Gardiner himself described the concert as a new beginning and thanked the audience and the director, who helped bring the new project to life during the difficult phase the FAZ reported.

An evening full of enthusiasm

As well as Opera magazine Gardiner regularly attracts outstanding voices to the Elbphilharmonie, and his most recent appearance exemplifies his artistic relevance in baroque music. The conductor viewed the event as overcoming the challenges of the past few months and as part of his return to stage art. The positive response from the audience underlines Gardiner's importance for the music scene in Hamburg.