Beauty of sound dilutes the passion in Welser-Möst and the Vienna Philharmonic's Tchaikovsky

Franz Welser-Möst
© BBC/Chris Christodoulou

Vienna Philharmonic

Franz Welser-Möst (conductor)

BBC Proms
7.30pm, Sunday 31 August, 2025
Royal Albert Hall, London

★★★

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791): Symphony No. 38 in D major, K504 'Prague'

Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Ilyich (1840-1893): Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 'Pathétique'

The Vienna Philharmonic at the BBC Proms
© BBC/Chris Christodoulou

'It almost goes without saying that the Vienna Philharmonic sounded exquisite at all times, the orchestra never knowingly emitting anything uneasy on the ear'.

Mozart:

'Welser-Möst was the epitome of restrained poise, with razor-sharp ensemble from the offbeat violins, before they fizzed in the Allegro'.

'Despite impressive agility from the woodwinds ... and skittering violins, there was not much to get the heart racing here'.

Tchaikovsky:

'Welser-Möst kept a lid on things until build to the climax, with violins and woodwinds swirling into the tutti march, one of the evening’s first truly spectacular moments'.

'At least a handful of grit in the mix would have better captured the symphony’s “Pathétique” essence'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.