“(…) The concerto is long, and so the only counterweight to it needed was a symphony: Tchaikovsky’s Fifth. (…) Denève brought an individualized dynamic here and an unhurried cadence there. But basically this was about the orchestra — its power to speak as a single, unified force in the first movement, and the ability to hand phrases and ideas to one another seamlessly.
Solo voices were in fine form: hornist Jennifer Montone, oboist Peter Smith, and flutist Patrick Williams. The double basses and tuba player Carol Jantsch loomed large but remained refined. Timpanist Don S. Liuzzi’s two quick punctuation marks at the end of the feathery string figure in the third movement were a delight.
Denève, too, may have had a light touch, but when sonic beauty is as lustrous as this, a light touch is all you need.”