Wagner sets tone for Abu Dhabi Classics

Sir Richard Armstrong leads the Western Australia Symphony Orchestra in rehearsal for Abu Dhabi Classics’ season opener at Emirates Palace on Thursday night. Antonie Robertson / The National

A new season of Abu Dhabi Classics got off to a brave and bombastic start on Thursday night with an evening celebrating the works of Richard Wagner. The West Australian Symphony Orchestra brought to life the works of the German master, presenting the dramatic instrumental preludes to classic operas Tannhauser, Lohengrin and Tristan und Isolde to an enthusiastic audience at Emirates Palace.

For much of the evening, the Perth-based ensemble was joined by New Zealand tenor Simon O'Neill, a celebrated Wagnerian who has previously performed the composer's works on many of the world's most iconic stages, including Milan's La Scala and New York's Metropolitan Opera, where he was also once Placido Domingo's understudy in a production of Die Walkure.

The 44-year-old singer enlivened dramatic scenes from his trademark role, Die Walkure's Siegmund, as well as performing memorable moments from Parsifal and the monumental In Fernem Land aria from Lohengrin.

While recognised as one of the romantic era’s most influential composers, Wagner’s dense and harmonically challenging operas can divide audiences – opening the season with such a programme was a brave statement of intent from a concert series that refuses to stand still.

The 2016-2017 season continues on Monday with a solo recital from Helene Grimaud, a fearless French pianist renowned for her interpretative flair. Performing at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Grimaud will present a programme of works from her latest release, Water, which collects impressionistic 19th and 20th-century pieces inspired by the liquid that makes up 60 per cent of the human body.

Other forthcoming concerts include an evening of classical and pop crossover tunes from celebrity hit-writer Stephan Moccio – who famously wrote the Miley Cyrus smash Wrecking Ball – at Emirates Palace on December 14.

Listeners can also look forward to a return visit from celebrated early music specialist Jordi Savall, who will present his new work Ibn Battuta: The voyager of Islam, Part 2 From Afghanistan to China (1336-1346) – a sequel to part one, which received its world premiere in Abu Dhabi in 2014 – at Emirates Palace on January 13 and at Al Ain's Bin Hamoodah Fort on January 15.

For more information and tickets, see abudhabiclassics.ae.