The Elbphilharmonie, the ''hall of wonders'' (The Guardian), is undoubtedly the new landmark of Hamburg, a monumental synthesis of breath-taking architecture, a unique location and a world-class concert hall. In varying instrumentation of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra under the baton of Principal Conductor Thomas Hengelbrock and several top-class soloists explores in the opening concert the possibilities of the Elbphilharmonie's Grand Hall and its acoustics with an exciting programme, created especially for this occasion by the most important living German composer, Wolfgang Rihm. ''A striking building, a scintillating concert!'' (The New York Times).
-----
REVIEW:
An unequivocal success is the way the drama of the leaps between the centuries remains absolutely undiluted. As a concert recording this may not represent absolute as-it-was perfection but as a package with the documentary, and as a record of an extraordinary musical event, it comes highly recommended.
