Mallwitz

With her Faustian ability to fathom the meaning behind every note on the page, Joana Mallwitz's desire to establish a meaningful dialogue with her orchestra, and her determination to weave the finest individual performances into a seamless musical whole, she has earned a reputation as a truly exceptional conductor.

With her Faustian ability to fathom the meaning behind every note on the page, Joana Mallwitz's desire to establish a meaningful dialogue with her orchestra, and her determination to weave the finest individual performances into a seamless musical whole, she has earned a reputation as a truly exceptional conductor.

In May 2018 the premier of Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow was a thundering success. It was not only Claus Guth’s sophisticated and insightful production that earned critical acclaim, the musical performance also received several accolades in its own right. The energetic conducting by Joana Mallwitz, Marlis Petersen in the title role, with Iurii Samoilov as Danilo by her side and Kateryna Kasper and Martin Mitterrutzner as Valencienne and Camille de Rosillon, the perfect couple, had audiences spellbound.

Composer/pianist Dirk Maassen’s Avalanche feels anthemic throughout. The opening “Eclipse,” a beautifully undulating piece that sways to its own natural rhythm, is a rock song in miniature, while the richly scored “Allewind” is full of tense, urgent drama. “Helios,” featuring sound artist Max Knoth and string orchestra accompaniment, harks back to Nyman’s score for the 1993 film The Piano, and “Nocturne” pays homage to the simple romance of the theme from Love Story. But while this is an album of many influences, Maassen, a master pianist, assimilates and crafts them into his own stunning, original whole.