'Their reputation for elegance and musicality is well deserved'

Charles Dutoit and Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Granada Theatre, Santa Barbara, CA, 26th January 2012

Audience members were split over the value of [Kodály's Dances of Galanta]...but were unanimously in favor of the orchestra's bold, rich tone, especially in the strings and brass. Michael Whight played the clarinet solos in a suitably Bartókian vein.

After the interval, the orchestra focused on the vigorous gyrations of maestro Dutoit, who could be said to have danced the musicians through a sharp and rhythmically savvy reading of Brahms' Symphony No.1 in C Minor, Op.68. The Royal Phil showed that they know how to open it up and make the big moments count, sounding great even through some misfires from the horns. Dutoit, in particular, managed the tempo very effectively, giving the audience an unusually nuanced account of Brahms’s sophisticated rhythmic devices in the final movements, something that even other top orchestras sometimes fail to do.

The standard version of what distinguishes great British orchestras like the Royal Philharmonic from their American counterparts is a sense of ease in the execution of difficult material, and this orchestra...demonstrated that their reputation for elegance and musicality is well deserved.

Dutoit, Royal Philharmonic show impressive fire and flair

Charles Dutoit and Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Symphony Center, Chicago, IL, 22nd January 2012

Zoltan Kodály's Dances of Galanta made a worthy calling-card for the London-based orchestra. The strings are highly impressive...the RPO offers muscular brass and first-class woodwinds. The rhythmic intricacies and sharp contrasts in mood and tempi were dextrously handled by Dutoit and the musicians delivered the music with fleet bravura.

Tchaikovsky's Symphony No.5 may not have been the most imaginative choice as the main work on the program but the strong and impassioned performance led by Dutoit succeeded in blowing the dust off this thrice-familiar warhorse. The darkly atmospheric clarinets set the tone...Laurence Davies lofted a beautifully rounded horn solo in the Andante.

...Dutoit led attacca into the final movement and whipped up considerable excitement and propulsion leading to a notably brassy and triumphant coda. While the Royal Philharmonic played well across all sections, again it was the outstanding personality-plus contributions of the woodwinds that shone most prominently.

Dutoit, Royal Philharmonic, bring familiar works to Symphony Center

Charles Dutoit and Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Symphony Center, Chicago, IL, 22nd January 2012

Zoltan Kodály's 1933 Dances of Galanta, full of tunes and opportunities for delicate color, showed a good ear for balance, allowing much sensitive playing from the winds, which the strings never covered. Nothing was pushed for artificial excitement. The account was so unforced, in fact, that it illustrated the oft-claimed division between American and British orchestras: brilliance versus easeful expression.

Dutoit's way with the Tchaikovsky [Symphony No.5] was not unknown...This time, however, warmer tone and meticulous observation of the smallest changes in dynamics – more than 30 in the first two pages alone – gave emotional shadings (not least from the solo horn) that allowed greater dimension than in the juice-less, classicizing performances we mostly hear nowadays.

RPO gives masterpieces their due

Charles Dutoit, Carmel Palladium, 19th January 2012

Dutoit and the RPO played Mozart's Symphony No.39 in E flat to open the concert, making for a short but memorable first half. Well-judged balances of winds and strings were evident from the start. The Trio of the minuet particularly showcased the winds' internal poise.

[Tchaikovsky's] Symphony No.5 in E minor made up the rest of the concert. Nobody ever has to worry about missing the emotion in this piece...Dutoit and the RPO seemed attentive to them all. The precision of the violins was remarkable; the little string figures backing the melody in the third movement (Valse: Allegro moderato) displayed unfailing grace. The beloved horn solo in the second movement was beautifully played by Laurence Davies.

Zukerman, Royal Philharmonic most impressive

Pinchas Zukerman, National Arts Centre, Ottawa, 16th January 2012

Pinchas Zukerman began the evening with [Beethoven's Egmont Overture]. In Ottawa we don't often hear Beethoven performed by full-size orchestras...A big orchestra isn't necessary for Beethoven, nor even always desirable, but when it plays as well as the RPO, the results can be most impressive.

But [Beethoven's] Violin Concerto was a bit out of the ordinary. It was more romantic in approach than Zukerman's performance with the National Arts Centre Orchestra have been. Among other features, it included more rubato and creative dynamics than we almost ever hear nowadays...there was an undoubted air of greatness about the performance.

The second half of the evening was given to Elgar's Enigma Variations...Although the orchestra played superbly throughout the evening, the quality of playing in the Variations was altogether inspiring.

From the elegant statement of the theme, the Enigma, through the surpassing majesty of the Nimrod variation to Elgar's self portrait at the end, this was as fine an account of the score as you're ever likely to hear.