Jakob Lehmann continues his successful collaboration with Les Siècles, conducting Berlioz' La Damnation de Faust in a new production at Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, impressing numerous critics:
“The evening truly found its focus in the pit—or more precisely, among the music stands—thanks to the remarkable work of Jakob Lehmann at the helm of Les Siècles. The young conductor delivered a vibrant, contrasting, and never ponderous interpretation that highlighted the natural colors of the period instruments without lapsing into museum-like imagery. His fluid and eloquent gestures breathed with the music and gave it movement: nothing vertical or demonstratively analytical here, but rather a way of making the lines sing, articulating the different sections, and maintaining a healthy dramatic momentum. Particularly memorable were a finely crafted "Marche Hongroise", nervous without being brutal, and an "Invocation à la nature" of beautiful breadth...One senses the orchestra is both free and controlled, benefiting from the conductor's confidence and his attention to the ensemble's phrasing."
Wanderersite.com
"The orchestra Les Siècles, with period instruments and conducted by Jakob Lehmann, brought a special and distinct character...Lehmann’s conducting was remarkably precise and romantic, and he delivered an excellent Damnation."
Lohengrin Magazine
"The orchestra Les Siècles is led by the meticulous baton of Jakob Lehmann. The young German conductor strives to carefully highlight the dramatic contours without diminishing the poetry of Berlioz's score...we applaud the refined conducting, the coherent approach, and the genuine poetic power of this monumental yet delicate music."
ClassiqueNews
"The orchestra is led by the young conductor Jakob Lehmann, at the helm of Les Siècles...Lehmann and Les Siècles clearly define the dynamics of the score - the marching accents, the transitions to the irruption of the supernatural - which present a major challenge in terms of precision and cohesion."
Cult.News
"Lehmann conducts with intelligence and finesse, engaging and promising."
Opéra Magazine
"The orchestra Les Siècles, which, it should be noted, is performing this program on early 19th-century French instruments, is in its element here and responds precisely to the clear and energetic conducting of Jakob Lehmann."
Classicagenda.fr
"At the helm of Les Siècles, Jakob Lehmann delivers a refined, balanced performance of undeniable sonic beauty. The period timbres unfold with admirable clarity: bright woodwinds, resonant horns, supple strings. One savors the precision of his gestures, the clarity of the counterpoint, and the attentiveness to the text."
Publikart.net
"The young German seduces with the unique and distinctive sounds he draws from the period instruments from Les Siècles, very much in the spirit of Berlioz."
Le Figaro
Read more about the performances here.
