Word: orchestra
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...make matters worse, the orchestra--at least on opening night--sounds about as professional as a high school band. Squeaky horns and missed notes grate on the ear, and the entire orchestra seems disjointed and badly synchronized: throughout the ballet, one can hear different sections starting and stopping where the transitions should have been smooth. Though easily overlooked, a good pit orchestra is absolutely essential to a good ballet, because the music truly is half the performance. A dancer draws energy from the music; when it's off, so is the magic...
...best qualities. Shaham began the violin solo with a rich, elegaic tone, bringing depth without melodrama to the tragic melody. He continued with a flexible tone that was glittering in his sublime upper register and lusty and rich in the low, and an impressive dynamic range that challenged the orchestra to match...
Shaham's treatment of the first movement cadenza was precise, relaxed and completely effective. Unlike most cadenzas which depart from the main theme to highlight the performer's virtuosity, Mendelssohn's provides the development that leads the movement to its end. The orchestra drew momentum from Shaham's graceful interpretation. It is difficult to say, however, whether it was this passion or sheer accident that caused conductor Seiji Ozawa to throw his baton into the cello section shortly before the end of the movement. The piece was nonetheless otherwise seamless (and an obliging cellist returned Ozawa's baton shortly after...
...year-old star demonstrated an obviously spontaneous enthusiasm for the music and a confidence that was mercifully free of arrogance, as well as a thoroughly energizing dynamic with Ozawa. An exultant audience gave Shaham and the orchestra an immediate and well-deserved standing ovation and four curtain calls at the conclusion of the concerto...
This challenging piece showcased Maestro Ozawa's brilliant and lyric conducting. Presiding over the orchestra with brooding intensity, he seemed to embody the melancholy and passionate spirit of the symphony itself. That the orchestra responded so thoroughly to Ozawa's often extreme demands only further attests to his effectiveness as a conductor...