Word: tempi
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...performance of the Dvorak maintained a strong forward momentum, the tempi in all but the second movement appropriately quick and flowing. The tight sforzandi that are so characteristic of this work were attacked consistently and with amazing precision. Subtle changes in tempo within movements were elegantly executed, as well as dramatic changes in dynamics, moving easily between thundering chords and delicate melodies. Particularly notable were the passionate development in the opening movement, the excellent phrasing of the slower second movement and the move to the overwhelming climax in the finale...
...That extra oomph was lacking in the Bach Soc's standard, somewhat unoriginal interpretation of the symphony. The most lyrical moments sometimes came across as a bit too brisk and deliberate--as, for example, in the famous cuckoo trill bridging the second and third movements. Tipler's choice of tempi was a little mystifying, especially in the second movement, where Beethoven's idyllic brook sounded more like a flooded cataract. There were times, however, when the sheer beauty of the music soared and the peaceful, spiritual emotions shone through...
...1970s. This absence of inspiration was particularly disappointing in the finale, but by this time Tate had ceased trying to goad the BSO to action. Whether from frustration or disinterest, his take on the Brahms offered few surprises in phrasing and even fewer variations in dynamics and tempi. Only the mellifluous soli of the winds merited much remembrance...
After justifiably extensive applause, Upshaw left the stage to Goode, who performed the four short pieces of Brahms' Op. 119, three intermezzi and a rhapsody. The first of the set, the intermezzo in B minor, is the thing of devastating beauty. Though Goode's tempi were excessively free, his princely touch and his formidable intellectual grasp of the music overwhelmed all objections. His performance of the bravura E-flat minor rhapsody was the best of the four, demonstrating superior voicing and clealiness of fingerwork...
Laredo seems to be a better symphony conductor than a concerto conductor, since the Mozart offered him a chance to think like the concertmaster he used to be. The strings were together and the winds were together. If Laredo's choice of tempi was often less than daring, he made up for it by successfully turning the minuet into a scherzo. He seemed to want the fourth movement to sound like Mendelssohn's "Italian" symphony, with pleasing results...