NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC – OCTOBER 2017
“The superb pianist Leif Ove Andsnes, who has played and recorded the Rachmaninoff concertos to acclaim, has made a special cause of this curious Fourth. He brought it to David Geffen Hall on Thursday to kick off his season as artist in residence with the New York Philharmonic, and gave a revelatory account of the piece with the conductor Paavo Jarvi … Mr. Andsnes’s performance was so animated and effortless that the music sounded almost lucid. Mr. Jarvi matched his exuberance right through, drawing bright, crisp playing from the orchestra … He opened his welcome return to the Philharmonic with a dazzling performance of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s overturelike “Gambit,” in its New York premiere.”
New York Times, Anthony Tommasini, 13 October 2017
“Järvi and the Philharmonic concluded the evening with Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony, and it’s evident that the New York Philharmonic horn section has never sounded better … Järvi led an exceptional performance of the symphony, highlighting the work’s dramatic, film score-like qualities and pacing the final chords with mature restraint.”
Bachtrack.com, Jacob Slattery, 14 October 2017
” Järvi captured Sibelius* unique and powerful sense of time. On top, the music flowed and expanded, it looked out at the changing world around it. Underneath, the internal foundation rotated on its axis, meditating on memories and imagination. This was deeply evocative and true to Sibelius’ art.”
New York Classical Review, George Grella, 13 October 2017
“Paavo Järvi led a finely-wrought, vibrant and well-balanced performance (of Salonen’s ‘Gambit’) … In a taut, intense reading, Andsnes and Järvi – perfectly in sync – relentlessly drove the music (in Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto no. 4) to a stupendous climax, energy and tension maintained to the end.”
Classicalsource.com, Lewis M Smoley, 13 October 2017