Memories are made of this: Tugan Sokhiev & Vienna Philharmonic in Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet, plus Debussy & Ravel with Lang Lang in Salzburg

Tugan Sokhiev, Vienna Philharmonic – Salzburg Festival (Photo: Marco Borrelli)

Ravel: Piano Concerto in G, Debussy: La Mer, Prokofiev: Romeo & Juliet (excerpts); Lang Lang, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Tughan Sokhiev; Salzburg Festival at Grosses Festspielhaus
Reviewed 8 August 2026

Vividly etched movements and a sense of real danced drama in episodes from Prokofiev’s ballet alongside Lang Lang in somewhat self-indulgent mood in Ravel

The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Tugan Sokhiev are old friends. He has conducted them on several tours as well as the gala concert to celebrate Johann Strauss’s 200th birthday, and this year they have a European tour.

On Saturday 8 August, Tugan Sokhiev conducted the Vienna Philharmonic in a matinee concert at the Salzburg Festival in the Grosses Festspielhaus with Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G (soloist Lang Lang), Debussy’s La Mer, and Sokhiev’s own selection of movements from Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet suites.

We began, unusually, with the concerto. Lang Lang started out light, almost reticent, a twinkle rather than dazzle contrasting with crisp jazz in the orchestra. But then with the second subject, his approach was intimate, laid back with plenty of rubato rather leaving blues and jazz behind. Throughout the movement there was this strong contrast between mood and tempo and I confess I found Lang Lang’s more laidback passages somewhat self-indulgent. The second movement began quiet, slow and thoughtful, though intensity picked up as the orchestra joined the soloist. Yet overall, it seemed remarkable to sustain the intensity at such a slow temp. The third movement really did give us fast, vivid dazzle, with a strong orchestral personality and fine woodwind solos. The end was so fast it felt like Lang Lang saying ‘look at me’.

Lang Lang, Tugan Sokhiev, Vienna Philharmonic – Salzburg Festival (Photo: Marco Borrelli)

La mer seemed to start from nothing, magic sounds that were barely there. Sokhiev kept a richly layered watery flow with plenty of detail, clarity here rather than impressionistic effects. From the fabulous cello section the music ebbed and flowed, though occasionally it felt becalmed as if Sohkiev concentrated on detail. The second movement was all fragments of shimmering textures, swift and delicate. Sokhiev seemed more about detail than overall shape, fast and vivid climaxes, barely there moments and magic at the end of the movement. The last movement began with anxiety and urgency, the excitement controlled. We had a wonderfully poignant oboe solo and terrific trumpet tonguing. The final climax, when it came, was urgent but felt too little too late.

After the interval, Sokhiev and the orchestra seemed transformed. His speeds in Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet always conveyed a sense that this was danced drama, each movement vividly etched, showing the orchestra off, true, but creating real drama.

Sokhiev’s selection of movements consisted of the second suite plus two movements from the first. Montagues and Capulets began with strong, intense brass contrasting with quietly sustained strings, leading to a vivid dance (‘Dance of the Knights’) with remarkably strong bass. Juliet as a young girl was all delightful skittering and full of contrasts. Friar Laurence was rich and dark followed by Dance that was fast and vivid with crisp detail and sharp solos. Romeo and Juliet before parting (the balcony scene) began atmospherically with and elegant flute. There was a classicism to Sokhiev’s approach and the music lack real romantic sweep until the full orchestra joined in. Dance of the girls with lilies had a delicate elegance to it, even the tambourine, with a fine violin solo giving a chamber music feel. Then Romeo at Juliet’s tomb was intense and urgent, a steady tread in the orchestra having real weight to it, leading to pure magic. From the first suite we heard the controlled excitement of Masks then the vivid impetus and urgency of Tybalt’s death  slowing to powerful anger.

Inevitably, a good performance of Romeo and Juliet comes with images. I first saw the ballet in Kenneth MacMillan’s version for the Royal Balled in 1970 or 1971 as an impressionable teen. Natalia Makarova was an unforgettable Juliet (in one of her earliest appearances following her defection). MacMillan’s ballet made a big impression and those images reoccur in a good performance of the music in concert. And I can tell you, this was a performance full of such memories.