Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Symphony, Mecklenburg State Theatre Schwerin – March 20, 1924, Christoph Forsthoff
“What an evening! Minutes of applause, standing ovations, ‘Bravo’ shouts, and an orchestra celebrating its own conductor (…) The Music Director’s equally sensitive and precise movements, along with his expansive and explosive gestures in decisive moments, made Rachmaninoff’s ‘Second Symphony’ not only a portrayal of unfulfilled desires in its first movement (…) A powerful wave of sound follows another (…) and the conductor and orchestra managed to maintain tension in the melody, winding in small steps, allowing the music time to unfold. Here, the melodies flowed and blossomed, while the rhythmically striking Scherzo afterward was characterized by a powerful contour. A small but significant highlight was the slow movement: What density in the string sound and what bewitching winds (…), what skilled balancing and atmospheric dynamic structure…”
Carmen, Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater Schwerin – November 22, 2023, Thomas Kunzmann, ioco.de
The Mecklenburg State Orchestra under its GMD Mark Rohde plays the score with a wink, swinging and colorful, shimmering from vivid to highly dramatic, handling the ensemble with velvet gloves while not sacrificing expressiveness.
Carmen, Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater Schwerin – November 13, 2023, Christoph Forsthoff, Schweriner Volkszeitung
With great precision, the conductor and orchestra faithfully follow every facet of this score so rich in musical gestures, not just in the ‘Habanera’: it hovers and sways, has transparency and the necessary mellowness, stirring at times with full sentimentality, only to resound again with mellifluous tones or tragic pathos. Thus, at least musically, it provides a familiar orientation…
Carmen, Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater Schwerin – November 14, 2023, Dietrich Pätzold, Ostseezeitun
Especially since the Staatskapelle, under the direction of Mark Rohde, performs with captivating musicality…
La Mer, Pictures At An Exhibition, Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater Schwerin – October 6, 2023, Christoph Forsthoff, Schweriner Volkszeitung
And so, in the Schwerin Theater, the resonating waves surged through the rows, with the strings painting luminous tones of iridescent floods, while the brass let the sun rays shimmering on the water break forth.
Ravel’s orchestral version of the original hasn’t lost any of its capacity for enthusiasm, as evidenced not least by the cheers and bravos at the end of the evening. The gnome was not merely a figure of mockery but became a figure of suffering, reminiscent in a wonderfully sentimental way of former troubadours in ‘The Old Castle.’ Even the quarreling children in the gardens of ‘Tuileries’ played with an almost weightless elegance (all without fortissimo!). Suddenly, the bustling marketplace gained its proper proportions, only to experience the claustrophobic terrors of the ‘Catacombs’ all the more impressively later. And when finally the ‘Great Gate of Kiev’ was opened amid bell tolls, Rohde’s interest lay in the individual layers of sound rather than in a clumsy widescreen sound. What a wonderful narrative and equally meaningful, winking interpretation! The fact that such a season opener sets the bar so high should only be welcomed by the Staatskapelle.
Giselle, Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf – June 13, 23, Sabine Janssen, Rheinische Post
The Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Mark Rohde, delivers remarkable performances from the orchestra pit, imbuing the narrative with their vivacious, poignant, and emotionally stirring melodies.
Brahms Requiem, Mecklenburgische Staatskapelle – April 6, 2023, Christoph Forsthoff, Schweriner Volkszeitung
Rohde appears to possess a profound understanding of the idiomatic nuances of Brahms’ musical language. Employing occasionally suspended tempos, he skillfully coaxed from the Staatskapelle and choir the apt blend of poignant delicacy and profound gravitas.
Strauss – From Italy, Mecklenburgische Staatskapelle – February 2, 2023, Christoph Forsthoff, Schweriner Volkszeitung
With exquisite precision, they keenly respond to the nuanced gestures of conductor Mark Rohde, gracefully attenuating here and impressing with enchanting gracefulness there. (…) It is fortunate that GMD Rohde and his orchestra are capable of creating more than just individual, sonically beautiful moments, as they adeptly evoke inner dramatics and encompass grand arches.
Schubert Symphony No. 4, Mecklenburgische Staatskapelle – December 8, 2022, Christoph Forsthoff, Schweriner Volkszeitung
And thus, the (…) ensemble embraces Rohde’s dynamic impulses as well as his approach to Schubert with contrasting attack, unveiling multifaceted contours in the four movements (…). They allow the music to breathe, judiciously opting for abrupt transitions, employing colors wisely as expressive tools, and opening up spatial perspectives for Schubert, which his work demands (…).