An institution as old as Western classical music itself, the Staatskapelle has been led by titans of musical intuition, from Strauss and von Karajan to Barenboim. Sentimental strings provide a fertile ground for soloists, while the dense, uniform brass section belts out chorales for Mahler and Bruckner with purposeful intensity. As the orchestra of the Berlin State Opera, the ensemble takes a nuanced approach to the behemoth scores of Wagner and Strauss, conjuring the pathos and potency of the composers' most powerful moments.