Bachtrack.com: A boisterous opening at Dvořák’s Prague

Like its spring counterpart, the autumn Dvořák Prague Festival opens every year with a signature Czech program, offering audiences an opportunity to hear different interpretations of familiar works. This year Alain Altinoglu was on the podium leading the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra and soloist Gautier Capuçon in a performance of the composer’s Cello Concerto in B minor and New World Symphony. Despite skillful work by the players, it was an underwhelming showing.

Altinoglu cast the pieces in large terms – uptempo, high volume, explosive dynamics. The sound was bold, bordering on aggressive at times, giving the music maximum impact but not leaving much room for artistry. Nuances were buried, subtleties flew by and details were blurred in the headlong rush of what was otherwise a thrilling treatment. Altinoglu is a versatile conductor and his musicians play with verve, but the boisterous approach robbed the music of some of its essential emotional quality.

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