Critics Praise Franz Welser-Möst on the Cleveland Orchestra's Tour of the US Pacific Coast
09 August 2005
"[Franz
Welser-Most] takes his responsibility as caretaker of one of the
world's three or four greatest orchestras seriously. The
tightness of the ensemble, the depth of playing in every section
(what's to say about those violas but 'wow'?), the transparency of
textures, the athletically smooth muscle of not just brass and
percussion but even the delicate harp was all there to hear and
savor..."
Mark Swed "A chance to listen anew"
Los Angeles Times June 10, 2005
"The showpiece for the night was Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra,
a veritable showcase for the wind section with its many solos and
duets... Welser-Most's authority was omnipresent, pushing and prodding,
stretching the line, cutting it short, maintaining superb balance
between the full orchestra and various soloists, keeping an edge on the
whole enterprise. There was fervor and electricity every moment,
with the most extraordinary clarity coupled with power --
sometimes dramatic, sometimes eerie."
R.M. Campbell "Cleveland Orchestra: An evening of extraordinary clarity"
Seattle Post-Intelligencer June 2, 2005