Hamburger Symphoniker: |Tate in Hamburg

Jeffrey Tate and his Hamburger Symphoniker (Hamburg Symphonic Orchestra) present an unusual selection of magnificent compositions on DVD: Richard Strauss’s “Four Last Songs”, Peter Ruzicka’s “Five Fragments”, Franz Schubert’s “Unfinished”, and Frédérick Delius’s “Walk to the Paradise Garden”. All of these pieces have one thing in common: “Albeit in very different ways, all four works reflect on the profound human experience of death. Schubert’s symphony speaks of this, and the ‘Four Last Songs’ too tell the story of the end of all things”, Tate emphasises in an interview given especially for the DVD’s liner notes. Nina Stemme’s voice makes the Strauss songs exceptional, as she interprets them in a highly emotional manner. Tate is certain that there can be no better singer to demonstrate the work’s emotional qualities: “Nina is an extraordinary singer who knows exactly what she is singing about and also what she wants to express. When performing a work, she absorbs it in all its facets, adding to these her unbelievable instinct, perfect technique, and the gift of a beautiful and yet strong voice.” A comprehensive documentation produced by the NDR (North-German broadcasting institute) presents the highly sought-after conductor Jeffrey Tate.