Press  “Eine Orchester ohne Chefdirigent” Tageblatt, April 22, 2009 (German)  “Batuta Semidade” Visão, April 2, 2009 (Portugese) www.mundoclassico.com, 26 November 2008 Alfredo López-Vivié Palencia Un director a la antigua… Es decir, parece un director de los que se toman su carrera con calma. Y eso se nota desde que se le ve salir al escenario sin apresuramientos, con paso firme y con la sonrisa sólo estudiadamente esbozada, lo cual da sensación de seguridad. Su gesto proporciona aún un mayor grado de confianza, porque, lejos de las ostentaciones técnicas de los más jóvenes y célebres batuteros, König sabe dirigir las frases -más que los compases- mediante ademanes sobrios pero elegantes, siempre efectivos: esa mano, y todo su brazo izquierdo es una continua invitación a hacer música. Aunque, sobre todo, es su concepto el que me recuerda a los Buenos maestros. (Real Filharmonía de Galicia) [A conductor in the old style… König is a conductor who is taking his career calmly. And this is evident when you see him come onto the stage in an assured manner; without rushing, with a firm step and with a hint of a smile. His technique gives an even stronger impression of confidence: entirely unlike the ostentatious techniques of many young conductors, König knows how to conduct a phrase – more than just beating time – using restrained but always elegant and effective gestures. His hand and the whole of his left arm continuously invite the orchestra to make music. However, more than anything, it is his overall concept of the music which reminded me of the great conductors.] The Observer, 6 January 2008 Stephen Pritchard Christoph Koenig and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra accompany with panache. (Melcer Piano Concertos 1 and 2, Jonathan Plowright, Hyperion CDA67630) The Guardian, 1 December 2007 Rowena Smith König succeeded …in tempering the discipline of the BBC SSO’s playing with warmth of sound and vitality [Bartok Dance Suite]. …König’s flexible shaping of tempos imbued the piece with the swagger of Bartok’s folk arrangements. With Beethoven’s Second Symphony preceding Brahms [Piano Concerto No1], the Bartok didn’t appear to have much connection with the rest of the programme. Yet König’s Beethoven turned out to be a pleasure: sprightly, but with a depth of sound that made it more than a lightweight approach. The Scotsman, 29 November 2007 Carla Whalen In the familiar inflections of Beethoven’s Symphony No2, the elegant tumblings of Brahms’ D minor Piano Concerto and the consciously aggressive poundings of Bartok’s Dance Suite, both the sentimental and the subversive assumed significance as conductor Christoph König teased out the dissenting voice in each. Within the uplifting sound of an enlarged orchestra, he encouraged the unnerving grit of the midrange – a spry bassoon, a grumbling bass clarinet, silken violas – to rise to the top of the mixture time and again. (BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra) The Herald, 19 February 2007 Alan Cooper His vibrant enthusiasm and energy coupled with a warm understanding of both soloist and orchestra made this a performance to treasure [Saint-Säens' Cello Concerto No1 / Daniel Müller-Schott]. …. Christoph Konig's fiery enthusiasm also made for an eye-opening performance of Beethoven's Symphony No 3, Eroica. He kept the orchestra going with considerable elan in the opening movement, yet never too fast for the expansiveness of Beethoven's melodies, or to allow details of the instrumentation to speak for themselves. (BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Fauré / Saint-Säens / Beethoven) Tribune de Geneve, 25 November 2006 Sylvie Bonier Le jeune chef allemand Christoph Koenig se charge de ramener ses ouailles dans le chemin classique avec une 5e Symphonie de Schubert energique et gracieuse. (Orchestre de Chambre de Geneve, Schoenberg/Berg/Schubert) [The young German conductor, Christoph Koenig, led the orchestra in some classical repertoire: an energetic and graceful Schubert Symphony No5.] The Scotsman, 14 October 2006 Kenneth Walton König let the music unfold naturally, its emotive colouring emerging with seething impact, its mangled use of familiar plainsong and German chorale melodies all the more thrilling when given their space… (BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, James MacMillan, The World’s Ransoming) The Herald, 26 June 2006 Conrad Wilson With Kevin Bowyer as soloist and Christoph Konig as conductor, the performance savoured the Frenchness of the music’s wit as well as its grander Bachian aspects. …it showed the young German conductor to be someone worth watching. (BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra) Dagens Nyheter, 15 August 2004 Thomas Anderberg Det kräver flexibilitet av dirigenten, och Malmösymfonikernas nye chefdirigent, Christoph König, visade sig ha fallenhet för synkoper. Stravinskys ‘Eldfågen’ fick ett svängigt framförande. (Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Mark Anthony Turnage/Stravinsky) [Mark Anthony Turnage’s Fractured Lines requires flexibility from the conductor, and Malmö Symphony’s new Principal Conductor, Christoph König, certainly shows a talent for syncopation. Stravinsky’s Firebird was performed with flair and rhythm.] Salzburger Nachrichten, 25 June 2003 Derek Weber Berechtigter Jubel hingegen für den jungen Dirigenten Christoph König, der im letzten Augenblick für den als krank gemeldeten Franz Welser-Möst einsprang und – die Züricher müssen es ja wissen – Mozarts Musik weich und schmiegsam machte und mit frischen Tempi die „Schleichstellen“ der Partitiur mit jugendlichem Elan entschärfte … [There were deserved ovations … for the young conductor Christoph König, who … rendered Mozart´s music smooth and flexible and negotiated tricky parts in the score with fresh tempi and youthful verve ...] Festival de musica de Canarias, 2003 El silencio casi religioso con que fue recibido el bellísimo Adagio de la segunda sinfonía de Rachmaninov fue la comprobación irrefutable de la completa comunión que se produjo en el Auditorio entre el publico y la Filarmónica de Gran Canaria. Con aliento contenido, asistíamos a una de las mas hermosas realizaciones de nuestra orquesta que establecía, así, su alta categoría y sus posobilidades reales cuando es conducida por la batuta adecuada. El joven Christoph König consiguió logros de una altura musical indiscutible de un conjunto que se comportó como un instrumento únicco. (Orquesta Filarmonica de Gran Canaria) [The beautiful Adagio of Rachmaninov’s Symphony No2 was received with quasi-religious silence: irrefutable confirmation of the complete communion between public and orchestra. We were listening, stunned, to one of the most beautiful performances by our orchestra, which showed its great potential and what it is capable of when under the right baton. The young Christoph König achieved heights great musical heights from an orchestra which played like one single instrument.]
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