A review of last week's concerts with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra as part of Mozart@258.
“As a conductor, Maestro Solzhenitsyn is direct. He works without score and without a podium. From the opening phrases of Mozart’s succinct overture to La Clemenza di Tito, it was evident the orchestra responded.
Solzhenitsyn’s playing in the slow movement was unusual for its delicacy, limpid clarity and heartfelt tenderness. The orchestral voices flowed like a choir around the solo voice of the piano and I never heard the TSO play better. Sarah Jeffrey’s oboe was outstanding. The glory of the third movement was how perfectly the orchestral soloists responded to Solzhenitsyn’s tonal cues from the piano during the many repeats. His cadenza was elaborate and mercurial in reflecting a multitude of moods before merging with the orchestra like water poured into water. ”