Musikfest 2: Chemists, Alchemists and Dark Stars

This was one of those quietly satisfying evenings on which the difficult process of making great music sound great seemed like the most natural thing in the world. Andris Nelsons, returning to Musikfest Berlin after last year’s memorably volatile performance of Mahler’s Sixth with the Boston Symphony orchestra, led the Berlin Philharmonic through a programme of works by three composers – Debussy, Varèse and Berlioz – known for their highly individual approaches to orchestration. Mr Nelsons has always had a strong rapport with this orchestra, but on this evening the two conspired to create diverse worlds of sound as magical as they were effortless. The Berlin Philharmonic may have one of the better string sections in the world, but they don’t always sound as grand as they did on this evening. Although their finest moments would occur in…