After its customary summer break, the 14th edition of the STRADIVARIfestival resumed at the Giovanni Arvedi Auditorium in Cremona. The festival, promoted by the Museo del Violino and Unomedia with the support of the Fondazione Arvedi Buschini and MdV friends, welcomed the Wiener Concert-Verein, a prestigious Austrian string ensemble of international renown and an authentic custodian of the great Viennese classical tradition.

The ensemble offered the audience an evening of refined elegance, built around an exceptionally fresh and enjoyable programme, combining cornerstones of the string orchestra repertoire with lesser-known gems deserving greater recognition. The carefully curated selection traced a fascinating journey between the 19th and 20th centuries through the atmospheres of Northern Europe and the Celtic tradition. Yet it must be said that anyone expecting icy Nordic landscapes, given the geographical origins of the composers featured, was pleasantly surprised.

The evening opened with a sparkling performance of Edvard Grieg’s celebrated Holberg Suite, Op. 40, driven by its compelling dactylic rhythms. The Austrian orchestra approached the five Baroque-inspired miniatures with impeccable formal balance: from the brilliant rhythmic clarity of the Praeludium and Gavotte to the intense, contemplative lyricism of the Air, the ensemble brought to life the Norwegian composer’s homage to Ludvig Holberg’s ironic and satirical theatre through a masterful calibration of tempo and agogic nuance, never pushed beyond their limits and, indeed, generally kept comfortably paced, allowing every shade of expression to emerge — something only truly cohesive ensembles can achieve. The splendid Rigaudon highlighted the qualities of the concertmaster and principal violist, both entirely at ease with the virtuosic solo arabesques called for by the score.

Next, Carl Nielsen’s Little Suite, Op. 1 confirmed the ensemble’s extraordinary sensitivity to dynamics. Written by the Danish composer when he was just twenty-three, the work revealed itself in all its transparency, from the melancholy opening theme entrusted to the cellos in the Präludium to the nostalgic, Mahlerian echoes of the Intermezzo, before the lively and energetic Finale.

The second half of the concert opened with Benjamin Britten’s celebrated Simple Symphony, Op. 4. Composed by reworking themes from the English composer’s childhood, the symphony infused the hall with its exuberance. As with Grieg, the Viennese ensemble chose firm yet relaxed tempi, more Austro-Hungarian than quintessentially English, displaying commendable technical mastery. The performance earned prolonged applause, thanks in particular to the remarkable virtuosity and timbral precision of the famous Playful Pizzicato, as well as the measured yet magnetic expressiveness and unity of purpose of the Sentimental Sarabande. The Frolicsome Finale was delivered with remarkable cohesion, breathing with the instinctive unity of an ensemble that does not rely on a conductor to find a common pulse.

The programme concluded in full Scottish spirit with a precious and infrequently performed work: Scenes from the Scottish Highlands by British composer Granville Bantock. Across its five movements, steeped in Gaelic spirit — from the tightly driven rhythms of traditional dances to the touching clarity of the Gaelic Melody — the Wiener Concert-Verein gave a masterclass in instrumental colour, bringing the picturesque landscapes of Scotland to life with verve and expressive warmth.

It was an evening of remarkable artistic calibre, in which the technical expertise of the Austrian ensemble blended perfectly with the immediate appeal of an intelligent and dynamic programme. The warmly enthusiastic audience rewarded the musicians with prolonged applause and two encores: Brahms’s Hungarian Dance No. 1 and Strauss’s Pizzicato Polka. These pieces came so instinctively to the sanguine, spirited Viennese musicians that they brought a smile to the audience and offered a joyful foretaste of the festive season still to come.

Photography by Francesco Sessa Ventura