Golden Label Debut – First came the breathless silence of the audience, and then it erupted—a standing ovation lasting minutes—following Martijn Dendievel's debut as conductor at Amsterdam's Concertgebouw. He led the Flemish Symphony Orchestra through works by Chopin, featuring soloist Severin von Eckardstein, and Schubert. "We were there!" said some older folks sitting behind me. "We witnessed it. Is he really only 24?"…
On Christmas Eve, I learn that Martijn Dendievel is stepping in as conductor with the Flemish Symphony Orchestra for a concert a few days later, December 27th, at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. No small feat, especially considering it's his debut as a 'proper' orchestra conductor (he's currently an assistant with the same orchestra) and in one of Europe's most prestigious concert halls no less. I'm offered the chance to travel from Antwerp on the orchestra bus to experience the afternoon concert. Perfect.
The musicians had a relaxed morning on the journey there. A quick nap during the drive and—wait—are we already in Amsterdam?… A coffee and then came the dress rehearsal. Having seen Martijn Dendievel conduct a small ensemble before, I knew he was meticulous and highly professional. But conducting a full symphony orchestra in grand Romantic repertoire in a prestigious, world-renowned hall was quite another matter. The tone was set, as far as I was concerned, despite a few rough edges in the dress rehearsal. Something extraordinary was about to happen—something people would talk about for years. Not so much about the works themselves, but about how this unknown young conductor would approach them, how he'd collaborate with the orchestra members and soloists, the fusion he'd create, his expressive face, his precise direction… After a quick lunch, it was time to get my press pass. What a queue! Not of cars, but of people. The hall was packed to the rafters.read hereThe director of the Concertgebouw Amsterdam announces to the audience that the scheduled conductor is ill and will be replaced by the young Flemish conductor Martijn Dendievel, of whom people are already saying he's a jack-of-all-trades, making his debut tonight, and who is also celebrating his birthday today. The atmosphere immediately lights up as the audience applauds the birthday boy when he takes the stage alongside pianist Severin von Eckardstein.
Two equally gifted musical talents enchant orchestra and audience
The audience—ranging from very young children to seniors—is naturally extra curious about what approach this young upstart will take and what they'll hear. That becomes clear very quickly. Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 is such a hit that people can barely contain themselves and applaud warmly right after the first movement. My impression is that this isn't a mistake, but rather that the audience is swept up in what this talented duo—conductor and pianist—has already shown us (remember, this pianist won the Queen Elisabeth Competition for Piano in 2002 and left all other laureates in the shade).
The pianist is in his element, as is the conductor experiencing the day of his young conducting career. They understand each other perfectly, and this brings forth a warm, celebratory, sometimes ethereal, passionate, yearning, enthusiastic young Chopin who laughs at life with youthful exuberance. We hear all the elements this concerto contains. Great applause and bravos fill the hall; the pianist thanks the audience with a delicate encore. I find myself thinking back to his laureate concert—it was like what we experienced in this hall today, pure enchantment from the finest piano sounds that can caress your ear. Von Eckardstein does this with great ease and humble bearing. It does him credit.
Schubert's completed Unfinished symphony: Dendievel makes history…
Even more than Chopin's first concerto, the performance of Franz Schubert's Eighth Symphony under Martijn Dendievel's direction will stay with me. Mark my words: our young Flemish conductor made history this afternoon. He unquestionably placed himself in the long line of world-renowned conductors who have graced the Concertgebouw Amsterdam stage and given legendary concerts there. And yes, I would call this Schubert performance legendary. An extremely rare visionary interpretation, full of emotion, openness, gripping solos that flow seamlessly into one another in perfect harmony. Dendievel clearly understood that Schubert here is saying farewell to an imperfect life. The composer, who died far too young, had only just learned he had a fatal illness.
Is it any wonder then that he opens his symphony so darkly, followed by so many loving passages yearning for hope and life, only to end in minor chords and be violently interrupted by thundering full orchestra? Is it surprising that this symphony has only two movements instead of four, and that Schubert composed only a few loose fragments of the third? I can't shake the impression that he did this very consciously, to emphasize the incompleteness of his life. He still had so much inside him and time was running out. Mortally ill, literally, Schubert composed as much as he could, trying to entrust to paper everything swirling through his head that he absolutely didn't want to take to the grave. All that tragedy is woven into this symphony, and it's Martijn Dendievel who captured it better than anyone.
After the first movement, the hall was silent as a mouse for seconds—no one dared breathe. And after the second movement? Dendievel held his baton for a moment longer, letting the work fade away… The audience was again in thunderous silence, and then—then the applause and cheers erupted. For minutes, Dendievel and the phenomenally performing orchestra received a standing ovation. Now do you understand why those people in the audience said reverently and gratefully: "We were there…"?
Martijn Dendievel—remember the name. He is one of those rare great conductors. On behalf of all those who were privileged to experience this moving concert afternoon, in whatever capacity, I think I can safely say that it will be rightly written in his curriculum vitae one day: "Dendievel made his debut as a substitute at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw on December 27, 2019, marking his breakthrough on the international stage."
The return journey? That went smoothly and peacefully. The satisfied, happy musicians savored the memory of a concert that was equally memorable for them. And me? I reflected on how to capture all of this in words. Hopefully I've managed, because describing the most beautiful music in words… The Golden Label Debut Nomination certainly underscores how impressive this debut was.
Chopin – Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11; Schubert – Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D 759 'Unfinished'
- WHAT: Flemish Symphony Orchestra, conductor: Martijn Dendievel, piano: Severin von Eckardstein
- WHO: Concertgebouw Amsterdam, December 27, 2019
- WHERE & WHEN: PHOTOS:
- © LVM – Klassiek Centraal, mt Birthday boy Martijn Dendievel makes his Concertgebouw Amsterdam debut: "…refinement, elegance, narrative, emotion..."
