Rachmaninov’s First Piano Concerto is sometimes coupled with Tchaikovsky’s First, but the coupling with the Fifth Symphony is unique in the catalogue. Dan Ettinger’s interpretation of this Fifth does not hide the fact that the Israeli conducts a lot of opera. His Tchaikovsky is opulent, lyrically broadly breathed, with numerous noticeable rubati, beautifully worked-out lines, emotional, but at the same time rich in detail. For the recording of Rachmaninov’s First Piano Concerto with the Brazilian pianist Fabio Martino, the composer’s revised version of 1917 was used. Martino plays brilliantly with many colours and nuances. He brings virtuosity and poetry together in a very natural way, while Ettinger allows the orchestra to play both dramatically and lyrically. This is a thrilling performance, which, like the Tchaikovsky Symphony, shows the indisputably high level of the Stuttgart Philharmonic.

Herrlich zu beobachten, mit welch’ kleinen, fast nicht wahrnehmbaren Fingerbewegungen Ettinger seine Mannschaft an besonders sensiblen Stellen leitete, während er diese andererseits durch temperamentvolle Sequenzen – trotz verletzter rechter Hand – ­mit vollem Körpereinsatz führte. Mitgebracht hatten die Stuttgarter Musiker zwei Werke Peter Tschaikowskys, die Serenade C-Dur op. 48 für Streichorchester und die Sinfonie Nr. 4 f-Moll op. 36. Mitgebracht hatten sie vor allem aber auch höchste Spielkunst gepaart mit überschäumender Spielfreude.