The fifth concert of the Balearic Islands Symphony Orchestra's season was filled with some unusual names, from the composers to the soloist and the conductor. Regarding the latter two, it goes without saying that having Frank Peter Zimmermann as soloist is a true luxury and, of course, a privilege. Zimmermann also brought with him a Spanish premiere, the Violin Concerto, by Swiss composer Frank Martin. A piece based on The stormShakespeare's, with the character of Ariel as a permanent musical allusion, with a structure that is, at least, peculiar.Allegro tranquil-Andante molto moderato-Presto— and a whole series of references ranging from dodecaphony to jazz, which intertwine to form a homogeneous kaleidoscope that culminates spectacularly in the final movement. A demanding piece, in which both the orchestra and the soloist displayed both immense energy and masterful ensemble playing. The performance was rewarded: Zimmermann returned for two encores, one of them no less literary than the composition itself. The King of the Elves Schubert's work, inspired by a melancholic and fantastical poem by Goethe. This exercise in complicity between the protagonists also had a name: Pietari Inkinen, the prestigious Finnish conductor, whose resume boasts, among other achievements, conducting Wagner's Ring Cycle in Bayreuth in 2023, and who drew out the full potential of the orchestra. So much so, that the musicians gave him a warm and resounding ovation as he left the stage.

Once again, an incomparable setting welcomed the equally incomparable Bach. The Cathedral was transformed into a Bach-infused spectacle. To the popular and widespread messianic tradition of George Frideric Handel, we must add this small but significant glimpse of the immense and marble-like master. Christmas Oratorio BWV 248 The Capilla de la Seu, directed by Joan Company, and the Illes Balears Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Pablo Mielgo, have been performing for several years in the cathedral's presbytery, beneath Gaudí's baldachin and alongside Jujol's transgressive and incendiary paintings. And if the setting can only be described as sublime, the concert shone equally brightly, with soprano Irene Mas, countertenor-soprano Rafael Quirant, tenor Bryan López, and baritone Tomeu Bibiloni as vocal soloists. As for the orchestra's soloists, Emma Goillot, on the piccolo trumpet—a small, four-valve instrument tuned to D—consolably captivated the audience. Bach trumpet— in his speech, performing with Tomeu Bibiloni an excellent Gosser Herr, or Starker König.

The auditorium on the seafront was packed to capacity to hear what was supposedly Ludwig van Beethoven's last symphony. Theoretically, because there was a later one, the Tenth, which was only missing one movement. So much so that on May 7, 1824, when the... Symphony No. 9, Op. 125, in D minor at the Kärntnertortheater in Vienna, with the composer present and on stage —which they had to turn towards the audience so that he could enjoy the intensity of the applause; If it is not vero, it is well trovato—, the three movements that the genius from Bonn had already completed were also performed. An anecdotal circumstance, since the Novena It has overshadowed everything. Undoubtedly, and without getting into rankings that might seem purely sporting, what is clear is that this "last" one is the most imposing of the eight preceding ones. The description monumental It has become a prefix for the Ninth Symphony, for the simple reason that it takes both a heart and an orchestra large enough to reach this great musical summit.

The fourth concert by the Illes Balears Symphony Orchestra at the Auditorium on the Passeig Marítim offered some attractions that went beyond a superb and stimulating program. Curiosity was palpable, to a greater or lesser degree. This was hardly surprising given the announcement of Raise the Roof. Concerto for Timpani, as a starting piece. A composition by Michael Daugherty, a disciple of Pierre Boulez and Luciano Berio, performed by percussionist Javier Eguillor, with Nuno Coelho leading the ensemble. An unusual piece that truly shines live, showcasing the dynamic energy of a protagonist who displays a whole range of possibilities on the timpani and cymbals, from melodic tuning to placing a cymbal on one of the five timpani in a convex position—and I mean convex—an immense array of rhythms that make it a complex and unusual musical singularity. Clearly, its duration, just over twelve minutes, makes it fly by. There was an encore, of course, and right afterward they repeated a fragment of Daugherty's piece, as if to savor it more fully and with greater understanding.

Year after year, Leopold Hager, who will turn ninety in 2025, conducts the Balearic Islands Symphony Orchestra, proving once again that it is still a luxury to see him in action, still displaying some of his trademarks in all their splendor, such as his precision and intensity, that when he heard the still adolescent Beethoven playing the piano, he exclaimed: "Listen to this boy. One day the world will talk about him." A few years later, four to be exact, Beethoven began his composition apprenticeship with Franz Joseph Haydn, Mozart's "father, guide, and friend," shortly before the maestro left for London again. The circle closes with another circumstance: Austria, where Haydn and Beethoven met, naturally Haydn and Mozart also met, but it is also where Leopold Hager was born and began his career.