Liechtensteiner Vaterland 15 May 2026 Julia Kaufmann

The magic of the flute and harp, combined with the precision of the chamber orchestra, made the TAK World-Class Classical Concert a real highlight.

With a concert evening of exceptional musical quality, the Festival Strings Lucerne, conducted by Daniel Dodds, gave a guest performance on Wednesday as part of the TAK Vaduz World Classical Concerts in the Vaduzer Saal. Together with two outstanding soloists from the Vienna Philharmonic – harpist Anneleen Lenaerts and flautist Karl-Heinz Schütz – the chamber orchestra spanned a programme ranging from the Italian Baroque through Mozart to the splendour of Romantic music and contemporary works.

Balance amongst themselves and with the orchestra

The works by Andrea Falconieri, Antonio Vivaldi and Francesco Onofrio Manfredini alone ensured a festive start. From the very beginning, the orchestra impressed with its precise ensemble playing, stylistic flexibility and that warmth which has characterised its sound for decades. However, the centrepiece of the first half of the concert was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra in C.– a work of cheerful elegance, composed during a difficult period in the 22-year-old composer’s life in Paris. It is precisely this contrast between outward lightness and inner depth that continues to give this composition its special appeal to this day. “I sense a particular depth in this music – seemingly carefree, yet with a special depth,” explained Karl-Heinz Schütz before the concert, and Anneleen Lenaerts added with a smile: “With Mozart, there are always risks, because his works are so delicate to play.” Yet the two Vienna Philharmonic musicians impressed across the board. They perfectly captured this blend of playful lightness and emotional substance. Schütz made his flute sing with an inspired, velvety tone, whilst Lenaerts gave the harp a shimmering presence that was at once warm and expressive. Both soloists struck an exemplary balance with one another and with the orchestra: they blended organically into the transparent string sound of the Festival Strings Lucerne, yet asserted themselves with natural ease. The audience had clearly been eagerly anticipating the Mozart concerto and responded enthusiastically to the unique combination of instruments.

A romantic declaration of love to Mozart

After the interval, Caroline Shaw’s ‘Punctum’ opened a fascinating window onto the present. In this work, lasting around nine minutes, subtle shifts in sound, choral-like structures and shimmering moments of memory gave rise to dense musical spaces. The audience readily embraced this compelling contrast to the Baroque and Mozart – in particular, the violin in some passages was almost reminiscent of the floating tone of the flute from the previous concert. Another highlight was Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48 – a declaration of love to Mozart and, at the same time, a masterpiece of Romantic musical art. Under Daniel Dodds, the Festival Strings Lucerne brought out the full beauty of this work: the solemn opening, the soaring waltz, the heartfelt elegy and the rousing finale with its Russian overtones. Every voice had its place, every phrase breathed, every dynamic crescendo was carefully crafted. The orchestra performed with impressive precision and great sensitivity. The Serenade unfolded into a sound that was as passionate as it was elegant, providing the perfect finale to a concert evening of the highest calibre. The Festival Strings Lucerne thanked the audience with a further encore: Schumann’s heartfelt ‘Abendlied’.