| Subscription Concert No.583 |
Saturday, 27st November, 2010, Suntory Hall
Conductor : Hubert Soudant
Piano : Dang Thai Son
Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
Chopin: Piano Concerto No.2 in F minor, op.21
A. Bruckner : Symphony No.8 in C major, WAB108 <Edition Novak, 2nd version >
Excerpts from a review by music critic Haruo Yamada in the magazine Ongaku-no-Tomo (Friends of Music), January 2011
…Mr. Soudant’s music is precise and flexible. His expression and tempo were suitable for every dramatic scene. For instance, the Adagio movement proves the beauty of heaven, but has propulsive force…the strings are of high purity, a supple and enchanting sound as was the sound of the blended brass. I was very much satisfied with Bruckner’s music.
Excerpts from a review by music critic Hiroo Tojo in the magazine Mostly Classic, February 2011
...from the beginning of the performance, there was the feeling Mr. Soudant and the Tokyo Symphony were brimming with confidence. They never perform roughly and always with a stability of arrangement. That proves Mr. Soudant’s strong control and the enrichment of the orchestra these days…Mr. Soudant’s direction is the style of combining, piling, pressing, and chasing precise themes. Then he superbly draws on the constructed elements. The listener is not so much intoxicated by the performance as overawed.
| Subscription Concert No.580 －After Schumann, 2010/11 season－ |
Saturday, 11th July 2010, 6:00 p.m., Suntory Hall
Conductor : Hubert Soudant
Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
A.Bruckner: Symphony No.9 in D minor
A.Bruckner: Te Deum in C major
Creation of a bold crystal clear sound － music critic Eimei Yamanouchi in the newspaper On-Stage
Excerpts from a review by music critic Masayoshi Iwashita in the magazine Ongaku-no-Tomo (Friends of Music)
Mr. Soudant and the Tokyo Symphony performed Te Deum without intermission following their performance of the Symphony No.9. The orchestra responded to Mr. Soudant’s graceful direction with intense concentration. The density of the ensemble increased with each movement.
The brasses played with enthusiasm. Yes, the sound was on a large scale and brilliant; but it deserved the highest praise for its density. This magnificent performance was equivalent to a performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.
Excerpts from a review by music critic Takuya Fukuda in the newspaper Music and Dance Press
A profound pleasant impression created by a coherent interpretation.
Mr. Soudant became music director of the Tokyo Symphony in 2004, and ever since he and the orchestra have proven to be a highly successful combination. Especially noteworthy has been his creation of a systematic and outstanding program consisting of important musical works together with a seasonal theme. This approach has improved musicians’ playing.
In the concert under review Mr. Soudant and the TSO rose to the challenge of the score with sincerity and precision. Their performance demonstrated that Bruckner is the successor to the symphonic line of Austrian composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and Schubert. The concert was a beautiful reflection of their great achievements as an orchestra.
Indeed this excellent performance proved once again the mutually enriching combination of Mr. Soudant and the TSO.
| Subscription Concert No.578 －After Schumann, 2010/11 season－ |
Saturday, 22nd May 2010, 6:00 p.m., Suntory Hall
Conductor : Hubert Soudant
Piano : Michele Campanella*
Viola : Atsuko Aoki**
Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
F. Liszt : Malediction *
F. Liszt : Piano Concerto No.2 in A major *
H. Berlioz : “Harold en Italie” op.16 **
Excerpts from a review by music critic Haruo Yamada in the magazine Ongaku-no-Tomo (Friends of Music)
For Liszt’s Malediction, Mr. Campanella performed with a strong touch, and evoked the full range of the instrument. Maestro Soudant was especially adept in getting the ample string section to respond steadily. In the List’s Piano Concerto No.2, Mr. Campanella demonstrated virtuosity without ever being flashy. The depth of this performance by a veteran pianist was palpable.
In Berlioz’s Harold en Italie, Mr. Soudant produced vivid music. He achieved a comfortable tempo in the second movement, and rendered the fourth movement with style sans extravagance. The orchestra’s sophisticated sound was magnificent. I enjoyed both orchestra and soloists in this lean, skillful performance of Harold.
| Subscription No. 569 －Schumann Cycle, 2009/10 season － |
Saturday, July 12, 2009, Suntory Hall
Conductor : Hubert Soudant, TSO Music Director
Piano : Hung-Kuan Chen
Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
Brahms: Piano Concerto No.2
Schumann: Symphony No.3 “Rheinische”
Excerpts from a review in the magazine Ongaku-no-Tomo (“Friend of Music”) by critic Ryuichi Shibata
In Schumann’s Third Symphony, Mr. Soudant maturely conducted the TSO and elicited a magnificent performance from the orchestra. The lucid and bracing expression put the audience at ease with flexible rhythm and well-blended acoustics. The fragrance of this European music fascinated the audience.
| Tokyo Opera City Series No.48 |
Sunday, 29th March, 2009, Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall
Conductor : Hubert Soudant
Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
Takemitsu: Requiem for Strings
Bruckner: Symphony No.7
Excerpts from review by Mainichi Shimbun music critic Masazumi Ohki
<The highest standard in Japan>
………Mr. Soudant drew vivid sounds from the strings, and brought enthusiasm and passion without a hint of melancholy to this short piece composed by a young Takemitsu.
………In the Bruckner Symphony, the TSO strings performed very well, which meant the TSO was performing at its highest level. At the very beginning of the first movement, the valiant theme played by the cellos led by the violins’ tremolo heralded the success of the evening’s concert.
The highlight of the concert was the second movement, the Adagio. In particular, the second theme, considered the most beautiful, blew a fresh breeze through the entire concert hall. The trailing note still tugs at my heartstrings after the climax of repeated sounds from percussions in the concluding part.
There is still more to tell. In the third movement, not only the main section of the Scherzo was played vividly but also the trio part was embellished, demonstrating Mr. Soudant’s remarkable direction, which added sophisticated taste to Bruckner’s simple melody.
It is no doubt to say this 70-minute performance of the Bruckner Symphony proved that the TSO is among the top orchestras in Japan.
