In Sunday’s (9/18) Indianapolis Star (Indiana), Jay Harvey writes, “On Friday night, [Krzysztof] Urbanski and the ISO began what everyone hopes is a happy journey together—and long enough at least to show if the rapport already evident can communicate to audiences concert after concert, season after season. … Urbanski chose an all-Russian program. Glinka’s Overture to ‘Ruslan and Ludmila,’ a favorite effervescent curtain-raiser, sped by, scattering glitter and charm. The sweep into its lyrical theme was exhilarating … Garrick Ohlsson joined the new maestro and the ISO for a handsome account of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto in B-flat minor. … Coordination between soloist and orchestra was exemplary. The dancing rhythms of the finale put a seal of unity on the earlier display of compatible dialogue … The program’s interpretive challenge for Urbanski is Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 in D minor. Friday night’s performance showed him to be a conductor with clear ideas about the piece. … The performance was controlled, but the conductor brought out the possibility that, after the structural integrity of the first three movements, Shostakovich deliberately wanted to sound slapdash. … Urbanski made the Allegretto the emotional fulcrum of the piece, poised and emotionally reserved, with just a touch of sarcasm. ”
Posted September 19, 2011
