Author: Magdalena Gajl
Stage I
1. Yaniv Segal (USA)
Performed as a first contestant having at his disposal a well-rested orchestra, who still remembered the inaugural concert from the previous day. In Ludwig van Beethoven’s "Egmont" he presented the men's point of view by emphasizing the heroic moments, strong accents, leaving lyricism aside. He failed to work on the detail accepting given reality - imprecise first entrance, forgotten crescendos, even when the trumpets fanfare should have been highlighted. He similarly treated the Symphony No 8 in H Minor "Unfinished" by Franz Schubert - charmed by the power of an orchestral tutti, he did not try to show the structure.
2. Wojciech Semerau-Siemianowski (Poland)
Dynamic and commanding, working with his arms wide open, he wielded the baton like he was whipping a galloping horse. This is how arised both: the rapid tempo of Giuseppe Verdi’s “La forza del destino” Overture and an anxiety of the initial figures of the dark registry of the strings . In the Symphony No 8 in F Major by Ludwig van Beethoven one could feel the small differences in expression, while the conductor drew attention to the vocal aspect of the melody.
3. Remigiusz Skorwider (Poland)
Presented himself only in the classical repertoire, treating the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Joseph Haydn with an intimidation (the kind of conductor hidden behind the composition). Focused, introverted, he drew the attention of the orchestra on the following theme entries in the "The Magic Flute " Overture, underlining them particularly.
One could have liked his interpretation of J. Haydn’s Symphony No 104 in D Major in its second movement - this part sounded softly, approaching the character of the minuet.
4. Daniel Smith (Australia)
He proved to be the most expressive character of the first day of the auditions - dynamic, extremely bright, conducting with enthusiasm and joy. As the only one, he began with the symphony ("Jupiter" in C major KV 550, W.A. Mozart), reviving the orchestra since the very first bars. After figuring out that it needs no detailed comments, Daniel Smith trusted the Symphony and devoted himself to sculpturing the character of the music with his hands, perceiving a lot of shades of emotion in it. Very musical, he made the audience feel freshness of seemingly obvious issues at all times. Sensitive to the dynamics of each plan, while conducting, he was present among the whole orchestra by hearing and appreciating parts of every single musician and each section separately.
He led the "Oberon" by Karl Maria Weber "armed" in the baton, strongly emphasizing the dark register of bass, a melody of all motives, including those from the background. He listened very carefully to the orchestra and convinced the musicians to listen to each other: "quieter - first violin" (left hand showing), "see" (turning his head away for the moment from them focusing his smile at the the woodwind group), "see how beautifully the clarinet plays now. "
5. Elżbieta Tomala (Poland)
Warm and gentle, giving a sign with a smile when she liked the phrase, with another smile (with a dose of confusion) giving an impression of being surprised when something slipped out of the musician’s control. She treated "Halka" Overture by Moniuszko as if the fate of abandoned opera heroin depended on the interpretation of the composition. In a slow entry she asked for a broad phrase saying: "let Halka miss more". She asked for more vibration, short crescendo withdrawing rapidly to achieve an effect of a deep sigh. The tutti parts of the orchestra sounded very decidedly, being a bit of a heavy monolith. All together it made the ending of the Overture sound like a national anthem.
She treated Franz Schubert’s Symphony No 8 in B Minor "Unfinished" traditionally, not generating bigger contrasts in the second part. The first part sometimes lacked a rhythmic precision, which could have been affected by the rigid attitude forced by the immobilization of the head by an orthopedic collar.
6. Vlad Vizireanu (Romania)
He began Beethoven's "Egmont" imprecisely at once, reaching the climaxes too quickly. Gestures reminding of the bullfighter waving a cloth in front of the bull, gave an effect of strong accenting, which however was not accompanied by the sound flexibility, tutti chords seemed to be flat. Not much happened in "his" Symphony No 8 in B Minor "Unfinished" - too little expression accompanied the main themes of the exposure.
7. Artur Wróbel (Poland)
He conducted “Halka” Overture by Stanislaw Moniuszko dynamically, basing on the holistic structure. Set the tone of objectivity in the longing motive, carried out the plot of the composition rapidly, highlighting the dark registers of the bass basis. While returning to the march theme, he drew a light tone colored with elegance, not endeavoring towards a stronger expression. He was communicative - introduced remarks successively , not only by lecturing a register of expectations but also by illustrating them by singing. In the hymnal ending of the composition he pointed out a bass counterpoint, at the same time filling the sound of orchestral tutti. Symphony No 8 in B Minor "Unfinished" by Franz Schubert sounded similarly, only the ton of loudness appeared.
8. Alexandre Bloch (France)
He makes an impression of accustomed to the orchestra. He stands in front of the musicians as a cool observer, not coming into closer contact. He is efficient, quickly reaches the goal, automatically - although not very deeply modifying a sound of the individual plans. In "The Magic Flute " Overture a spring, light and elegant fugato was distinguished. Symphony No 2 in D Major by Ludwig van Beethoven sounded clearly in terms of the structure.
9. Dimitrios Botinis (Greece)
He makes an impression of inexplicable, cool strategist, conducts without a smile, and so seems the music to be under his baton. Listening attentively, he doesn’t establish an emotional contact with the orchestra, however, he effectively modifies the sound straight away, not getting involved in the action of the composition – he focuses on creating tension in the broad plans. He began working on Beethoven's “Egmont” from reworking a few fragments, defining the boundaries between episodes then letting the music spread the wings. He adopts the men’s point of view, drawing out a heroic element from Beethhoven’s score, not stopping on the expression of the pain theme from the introduction.
Symphony No 8 in B Minor "Unfinished" by Franz Schubert appeared many shades of dark colors, showing the relation of the final scene of Mozart's "Don Giovanni" – one could feel mournful murmurs and sighs.
10. Grzegorz Brajner (Poland)
He drew two romantics ("La forza del destino" Overture by Giuseppe Verdi, Symphony No 4 in A Major "Italian" by Felix Mendelssohn - Bartholdy) and treated them according to the logic belonging to this era. Expressive, with the baton wandering almost around the head, he drew out more vibration from the episodes, emphasized the importance of the imploring theme. He paid a special attention to accent the "silence" - the pauses were the moments of waiting, listening, as if he was curious about what was going to happen in a moment. He conducts a single plan, in which a melody was developing, not individualizing the rest.
11. Ivan Cherednichenko (Ukraine)
He is a conductor who listens and agrees. He leads the orchestra quite confidently, not being afraid to abandon the score for a moment. He does not interfere in the work, nore in the correct interpretation played automatically (as a result of experience) by the Orchestra of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic ("La forza del destino" Overture by Giuseppe Verdi was already recorded by the musicians of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic, and on the same day they played it several times being directed by the young conductors). Cherednichenko slightly modified what he was hearing, vividly showing the changes in the character of music.
12. Monika Cybulska (Poland)
One of the most interesting characters on the first day of the auditions. She conducts with both arms symmetrically, showing the entry of instruments instead of the left hand - with a nod of her head. In spite of the views (eg, Bohdan Wodiczko) that the women are not made to be conductors because the occupation is associated with a domineering personality, Monika Cybulska assumes a grim face, lashing the baton like a whip with the strength and temperament, which could be envied by a man conductor. By the way of leading the orchestra she could reach the general level of a dynamics, when she expected more precise picture of changes in this element. She communicated , saying "piano please" and received a phrase played quieter – for what she thanked. She is flexible - in Weber’s "Oberon, " when she wanted to emphasize legato of the trombones, she anticipated difficulty with breath, therefore she proposed a "possibility" a short pause. Franz Schubert’s Symphony No 8 in B Minor "Unfinished" under her baton was extremely expressive, which was a result of the strong contrasts of dynamics.
13. Michał Czubaszek (Poland)
Self-confident and sure of his workshop, self-possessed. He varies the style depending on the articulation in the subsequent parts and the type of expression. He shows musicians their entries, the moments of breath in the solo parts, specifies the closings of phrases. He conducted "La forza del destino" Overture by Giuseppe Verdi with restraint, not abusing the dynamics, taking care of the melody from its very beginning to the disappearance. He showed moderation even more in the Symphony No 2 in D Major by Ludwig van Beethoven.
14. Kazimierz Dąbrowski (Poland)
He arouses fondness for his person by the clear commitment to the drama of the composition, which he carries away with expression, but also sometimes betrays it when he is not watchful enough. He seems to feel best with a chamber orchestra, then he operates dynamically in an interesting way – by sudden withdrawing the sound, slight changes of the accompaniment. He performed at the end of the first day of the auditions in front of tired musicians and no less tired jury - hence probably the jury’s latter decision to ask (for the first time that day) for three different parts of the Symphony No 2 in D Major by Ludwig van Beethoven. One of the parts turned out to be unfortunate - Scherzo lost the pulse, however it contained charming moments - when a simple melody in the woodwind instruments came back in the trio and got a rounded shape. Then the humorous tone was audible. The beginning of the second part lacked of the loplan-diversification, though thanks to that it took the shape of sacred music.
15. Daniel Fernando Erazo Muňoz (Colombia)
The penultimate participant of the first day of the auditions was able to briefly revive the orchestra and observers of the contest. He drew out a lot of energy "The Magic Flute" Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, speeding (a little exaggeration) the tempo of this work, strongly emphasizing syncopation. After vigorously completed, with selected brass part in Overture by Mozart – he ran consecutively Allegro part II Scherzando: Allegretto and contrary scherzo marked by Beethoven as Tempo di Menuetto. The last part sounded only fine.
16. Waldemar Groń (Poland)
As the next in a long row he drew "La forza del destino” Overture by Giuseppe Verdi and Symphony No 2 in D Major by Ludwig van Beethoven. In both compositions he only slightly interfered in the orchestra’s playing. In the Overture in relation to his predecessors he diminished the contrast between the first sounds of trombones and winged figures of strings (which by this action were slightly shortened). He emphasized the accent amplifying effect of sighs in the initial motive. Waldemar Groń presents himself as an arranger and has something of the freedom of approach to the "finished" works which was revealed in his approach to Beethoven: like in the Overture, the trombones played faster – the tempo in the Scherzo was remarkably slow, which gave the impression that it was about to stop.
17. Daniel Huppert (Germany)
Self-confident, definite, remaining in the shadow of the composer and his composition, he was one of the oldest contestants. He works peacefully controlling the form – one can purely feel the theme, which emphasized the classic style of the two drawn compositions (Beethoven’s symphony "the Second" and Mozart’s "The Magic Flute" Overture.) In both cases he clearly emphasized the contrasts, separated the phrases, giving them a strong, rounded shape . He can use a difficult situation for gain: a baton pointed accidentally towards the viola-players became a pretext for a disarming smile and a beginning of working on details.
18. Sho Itoh (Japan)
A talent of the 29-year-old Japanese conductor is multidimensional: beginning with the first contact with the Orchestra (Polish welcome "good morning"), through an excellent memory (easy way of orienting in the score) up the way of conducting which is "organic", instinctive. With such basis one can do everything with music. The first dark motive in Beethoven’s "Egmont" had the rich meaning emphasized by the facial expression picturing pain while the conductor was listening to the fading sound. Sho Itoh extremely energetically led the Symphony in A Major "Italian" by Felix Mendelssohn, giving a sharp-edged sound to the strings.
19. Rafał Janiak (Poland)
He is theoretically prepared to interpret and has a knowledge of what kind of effect he would like to achieve, but he expects to have the effect after giving a lecture. The way of leading Beethoven’s “Egmont” or Mozart’s "Jupiter Symphony" is something of a sketch, not well-balanced in the terms of balance.
20. Sylwia Janiak (Poland)
She was the first woman - conductor of the second day of the auditions, one of the six heroines of the day. A pretty, slim blonde, with a storm of hair falling on her face, which she brushed aside from time to time. She works using verbal remarks, which she lists in a row. In Weber’s "Oberon" figures of flutes should be scattered, the fanfares of trumpets are to sound like a silent military march. The lack of vibration in cellos in the Symphony No 8 in B Minor "Unfinished" is to emphasize the mystery. It is probably the looking at details that lates the pulse (which was especially audible in the slow part).
21. Huan Jing (China)
A small, energetic, very efficient, sure of her concepts which she implements without hesitation. She began her performance with the "Die Fledermaus " Overture by John Strauss, and ran it without stopping, without any verbal comments to the orchestra – she regularly showed changes of articulation, mood and she did it visually, with a sense of humor. The Viennese sweet melodies lacked of coquetry and frivolity. She also dealt smoothly and fairly with the Eighth "Unfinished" by Franz Schubert. When she heard the mistake in the orchestra – she apologized with a smile, taking responsibility on herself.
22. Stilian Kirov (Bulgaria)
He ran firmly Beethoven's "Egmont" and Mozart "Jupiter", basing clearly on wide experience. He presents a traditional attitude: controls the logics of the work, giving it a certain pulse and momentum, there is no madness in his approach to the music. His work on "Egmont" and Mozart’s "Jupiter" Symphony based only on running them without interruption and verbal comments.
23. Marta Kluczyńska (Poland)
Courageous, decisive and intelligent. Her expressive and inventive gestures, sometimes funny, then sad, pathetic mimicry could itself remain a subject of the performance – there was so much expression and charm, and also the precision that translated the rhythmic precision. Overture "La forza del destino" by Giuseppe Verdi was a convincing drama, something of the opera kind of performance, only the singers were replaced by the instrumentalists. Symphony No 2 in D Major by Ludwig van Beethoven gave fewer possibilities to theatrical (in a good way) performance - here the conductor needed to work using some verbal comments.
24. Krzysztof Kozakiewicz (Poland)
The youngest (23 years) participant, and though still a student – he defended himself in competing with older colleagues. An introvert type, doesn’t showing emotions, but one could feel that music is something that consumes him, delights and takes over. He was approved to the competition at the last moment (due to the withdrawal of another participant), so he had very little to prepare the repertoire. He knew the compositions by heart (again, "a mandatory set " of the contest: Overture "La forza del destino" by Giuseppe Verdi and the Symphony No 2 in D Major by Ludwig van Beethoven). He was not present enough by the way of widely contrasted gestures, however is presence was noticeable in the way how carefully he listened to the orchestra.
25. Chin-Chao Lin (Taiwan)
One of the most spectacular conductors of the contest. He didn’t need breaks, returns, didn’t have to use verbal comments - regularly, not as a speaker but only as a conductor he reached a satisfying result. He drew two romantics "Oberon" and "Eighth" Symphony by Schubert. He conducts with his whole body, moving in all directions, his facial expression plays a significant part in running the orchestra, he is showing the concentration all the time, listens to the orchestra with tension, and on the other hand one can notice an approach full of lyricism and readiness for a fight. He is kind of organically fused with the music and the orchestra, he breathes with them, giving for the musicians playing wind instruments solo a sense of security.
26. Szymon Makowski (Poland)
He ran Weber’s Overture to "Oberon" giving it a major momentum and the Symphony No 2 in D major by Beethoven, ran more interestingly in Allegro than in Scherzo .. There was more of him in the music of "action” which abounds in changes - then he shows a wide range of enthusiastic gestures. He treats lyrical parts more as a place of rest not giving the an emotional meaning.
27. Michał Łukasz Niżyński (Poland)
He began with complimenting the Orchestra for the concert he once heard. His attitude to the compositions (the last symphony by Haydn and "Die Fledermaus”) is definite, and unsentimental, without an attempt to give the music a personal aspect. In Strauss' “Die Fledermaus” Overture, he twice breached the structure by the losing the pulse (at the beginning and at the end).
28. Kateryna Osadcha (Ukraine)
Dressed in black, with black hair, may be associated with the young Karajan. Not only is she a beautiful, graceful woman-conductor but also a the conductor whose gestures are angular with the momentum when music needs it; while lyrical parts - Kateryna Osadcha’s gestures soften and become round. In the "Die Fledermaus" Overture her personage at times seemed to be getting ready for an elegant dance. She is well oriented in the score, has a clear way to communicate changes.
29. Joanna Piaścik (Poland)
This girl is a decent conductor - modest, quiet, one can rely on her. She seized a good workshop to present the correct outline of the composition. However, she has a tendency to setting herself on the second plan, which may result from the practice as an assistant conductor preparing the basis. Repeated almost all the time for two days Overture "La forza del destino” by Verdi finally for the last time sounded confidently and logically.
30. Patrycja Pieczara (Poland)
Convincing, courageous, energetic artist, confident of herself and her idea, one of the most interesting conductors of the contest. She controls the form of the composition, knows where and whither it’s going, by clear picture, when necessary – she shows each note individually by precise gestures. She is the kind of conductor who treats the orchestra subjectively, what one hears in the style of the way she arguments, i.e. "don’t worry, I'll wait for you, please take your time to sing with glee" – she said to the solo playing oboist. For the first time the light overture to Strauss' “Die Fledermaus” under her baton was fulfilled with lyricism, unpretentious sensibility. The final of Mozart’s "Jupiter" sounded dynamically, powerfully and majestically.
Stage II
1. Daniel Smith (Australia)
One of the favorites, not only of the first day of the hearings but of the entire contest. He won the orchestra’s and audience’s heart – they say he might be a winner of the contest thanks to the attitude based on mutual agreement. He listens carefully the orchestra, tries to be present in every part, he reinforces the image of the motive, sometimes moderates it, seeks contact with the musicians when he feels it – he lets them know that he is pleased with their work. When someone looses phrase or tone - Daniel Smith points to his ear and smiles at the same time – as a sign of the wrong intonation. He doesn’t say much, and if he does – one wants to listen to him, because his remarks are short and peaceful - do not remind of lectures – are rather kind of a parable. In one of the most important solo parts of a funeral march of "Eroica", the melody in the trio as a result of inattention changed into the minor key - Daniel Smith stopped the rehearsal and said "in this part, this moment is the only moment of hope, and mistakes ... are not important”. Before the final he entered the orchestra in the mood of the composition by a short announcement: "here is completely different, it is something more like children’s play”. And indeed, everything expressed this joy - lightness, elasticity of sound, tempo.
The accompaniment of the Violin Concerto in E Minor by Felix Mendelssohn, the Australian treated exemplary - Camilla's Wąsik - Janiak solo part was always cruicial. Smith properly prepared her entry in the final by informing the brass about an adequate articulation to the first "words" of the violin.
2. Elżbieta Tomala (Poland)
She began with the Andante Concerto in E minor by Felix Mendelssohn. Keeping the lyrical melody is an asset of the conductor, she fulfills the phrase with sweetness, which influenced the background character - staggered chords of the first violin can arrange in the broad surfaces full of space sounding warm and juicy. Elizabeth Tomala has her - or rather Polish - defects. When she loses a gift of the baton-persuasion - she starts to speak. She spoke for over a minute about what she expected from Mendelssohn. Her method seems to have a psychological background "we need to be careful with the semiquavers not to get blurry " – she said. Elizabeth Tomala pictured The symphony in F Minor by Peter Tchaikovsky as a sketch, keeping the tension underlined. To be able to feel the music rousing and personal, further plans had to revive. Verbal comments, putting arms up high are not enough to achieve the precision needed for the saturation of color and profiling tension.
3. Artur Wróbel (Poland)
He kept the pulse in the Concerto in E Minor by Felix Mendelssohn. In the "Fire Bird" by Igor Stravinsky he stuck in details, trying to rescue himself using a metaphor concerning wood-wind instruments being about to remind of the bird singing. It turned out that his role was to assist the next Greek conductor – he prepared him a ground by practicing the score, which the next conductor could use. What in his interpretation seemed to be a tangle of syncopes, the other conductor put in a regular shape.
4. Dimitrios Botinis (Greece)
Fascinating, blessed with charisma, a great musician, having conducting in his blood. In the first stage he was closed, very serious but successful, his style of work with the baton was rich – using left hand, flexible wrist, working with the whole body. He changed in the second stage: allowed himself to smile, probably the repertoire suited him more. He began with accompanying Camila Wąsik - Janiak in the Concerto in E minor by Mendelssohn (drawn five times on the first day of the second stage). The way of conducting by Dimitrios Botinis allowed the soloist to feel free, he was discreet, self-secure in the Allegro, subtle and dreamy in the Allegretto non troppo. The highlight of his performance was the "Fire Bird" by Igor Stravinsky. The resource of methods he used to recall the sense of Stravinsky's score seemed to be unlimited. It is not about repeating learned gestures but about flexibility: the same moment of the composition which he ran in an unsatisfying to himself way , while repeating is associated with a different movement of the baton and his whole body. This method is very malleable – it doesn’t however divert the attention from the music, but emphasizes its construction, small structures and shapes. He rarely used words, and if it was necessary to use them, they were accompanied by imagine singing and pantomime – this kind of interference is more efficient than lectures.
5. Ivan Cherednichenko (Ukraine)
The repertoire of the second stage took away his points scored in the first stage, especially that he conducted after his stronger rival (Dimitrios Botinis) in the same "Fire Bird" by Igor Stravinsky. By his (Cherednichenko’s) biography picturing him as an artist playing the folk instruments, one might have expected a greater sense of the Russian melodies nature, unfortunately, still young and little-developed technique did not allow him to achieve the desired effect. A language could have been a barrier - he resigned to communicate in English (must have been uncomfortable for him) and swop to Russian, which not all orchestra members understand.
6. Monika Cybulska (Poland)
She was the first who didn’t draw Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto but Rosina’s Cavatina from "Barber of Seville” by Gioacchino Rossini with Bogumiła Dziel – Wawrowska (mezzo-soprano). Tired and not enough focused orchestra played a short introduction not keeping the tempo, incoherently, sounding harsh. One of the next conductors (Huppert) had the idea to check this issue, practiced it briefly, so he had a good, promising start. Monika Cybulska accepted the fact of an unpleasant sound which became a motto and a purpose of her interpretation...
Monika Cybulska clearly likes Symphonic Poem "Eternal Songs" by Mieczysław Karłowicz, knows a lot about the composition, feels its dark atmosphere. She can talk about it, converting from conductor to the lecturer. Conducting without is not her specialty yet. In situations where the action is interrupted to talk about the composition, the orchestra gives clear signs of tiredness – which also tire the conductor.
7. Michal Czubaszek (Poland)
Again, Mendelssohn and his Concerto in E minor and efficient accompaniment, modest but not inspiring. Uninspiring were also the conductor’s remarks concerning Beethoven’s "Eroica", a work on the details of phrasing, articulation, had not much meaning in the context of the whole composition.
8. Daniel Hupert (Germany)
In the first stage, Daniel Huppert presented himself very positively: confidently showed a shape of the composition, the logics of the construction. This time, he had many accurate comments, but they didn’t concern the main issue of the composition, except for a funeral march, which needed highlighting separate contrapuncts. He ran Beethoven's “Eroica” earlier.
9. Sho Itoh (Japan)
In the second stage he did not seduce but aroused fondness toward his person and to the music - a little bit because he smiles nicely to the performed phrase, after achieving an interesting effect. While conducting he doesn’t draw attention to himself - is modest, and despite this - effective. In both stages his style of work was similar - first he played a longer piece without interruption, in a way not provoking criticism, he listeneed carefully. Then he shortly announced a change of articulation of i.e. sticks of a big drum to sound more subtle and more mysterious (indeed, the "Fire Bird" by Stravinsky became more attractive, logical, coherent in sounds.) Mendelssohn (Kamila Wąsik-Janiak played Concerto in E minor for the seventh time) was an accompaniment associating with the soloist part - the same logic of similarity, a kind of musical empathy.
10. Rafał Janiak (Poland)
Strauss and “Death and Transfiguration”? Not really - the contact with the orchestra was not good enough to liberate the music, which is essential for the plans of score to contact each other. The initial syncopes which were to picture a breath and a heartbeat of a dying person - were stiff, and after all that's a showcase of the composition, its very beginning. The moment specifying calando should have been really rocking ... The young conductor didn’t even look at the motive of Don Juan from another poem by Strauss as he was busy clocking. It was similar with the melody of passionate waltz played by the choir of first violins. One could hear a lot of remarks which caused comments and sighs of the orchestra concerning individual notes, which didn’t decide about the meaning of music, and didn’t create the climate. However, light and strong accompaniment to Cavatina by Rossini "Una voce poco fa" - drawn for the second time in this stage of the Contest – positively summarized his performance.
11. Huan Jing (China)
Her accompaniment to the aria Rosina had a lot of charm, lightness, and highlighted the nature of the soloist’s melody. In the Symphony No 4 in F minor by Tchaikovsky Huan Jing needed a couple of verbal comments to direct the orchestra on the right track, and not to lose the pulse as a result of inaccurate articulation in any of the parties. These remarks turned out to be accurate and everything quickly returned on the right place. The solos sounded less interesting – however the sighs and lamentations, the collective climaxes, were more convincing, tutti was organized in a common to all rhythm.
12. Stilian Kirov (Bulgaria)
As the first one he drew Concerto in E minor Chopin, which pleased everyone. They say he preferred a different composition but it seems not to be true - Concerto under his baton sounded fresh and illustrated personality of our romantic which was obvious thanks to the lightness and sophistication of the structure. There was something more: a dialogue between the soloist and the orchestra seemed to be a kind of the opera dialogue, making the initial Allegro grow into an opera scene - a sort of hesitation between aria and recitative. Knowing Chopin's musical preferences – he would like this interpretation, also Julia Kociuban’s playing - so subtle, with lovely, very romantic melody full of sensitivity, reflection, the noble rubato. The "Fire Bird" - without the prior trying was "ready " at once though Stilian Kirov proposed changes to add some mystery. One moment ending the "Infernal dance" marveled: tremolo of strings was so muted, the coloration was so intense that one could hear their fairy-tale tone reminding a distant sound of the flute.
13. Marta Kluczyńska (Poland)
She was more interesting in the first stage, maybe because the uniformity of the more one-sided repertoire she once drawn, didn’t require simultaneity of moods and ideas. The conductor then achieved a lot thanks to the mimics (sometimes fynny, suggesting forbearance lacking fondness), perfectly suited to lighter music. Karłowicz and his "Eternal songs" required other methods to visualize a modernist climate, suggest mystery.
14. Chin-Chao Lin (Taiwan)
He seemed to be more attractive in the first stage, which does not mean that this time he was less effective. Then a lighter repertoire allowed him to accompany the musicians playing solo, letting them feel that he hears them, add confidence by taking the breath just before them. It's probably typical for the culture, where Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism mix: the subordination and modesty. Similarly to Sho Itoh (Japanese) and Huan Jing (Chinese), Chin-Chao Lin treats his role as subservient to the music. His precision let construct the logic of form and gave the music climate of harmony. Such was his Chopin (fantastic Julia Kociuban for the second time, and - unfortunately - the last) and Tchaikovsky. Rousing in the final (although slower than Kateryna’s Osadcha (Ukraine) whose performance was the next).
15. Kateryna Osadcha (Ukraine)
It is hard to think about bigger luck - Kateryna Osadcha has Piotr Tchaikovsky in her blood, along with a workshop, which favours Russian romantics. Tchaikovsky’s music liked her hand gestures with broad shoulders and lifted arms - to highlight the rhythm of discrete accents. While in the first stage she needed to use verbal remarks to work (in Russian), here she only conducted.
16. Patrycja Pieczara (Poland)
Too bad. She will not perform at the gala concert though her Dvorak (Symphony No. 9 in e Minor "From the New World") was seductive, and accompaniment in the “Rosina’s Cavatine” from "The Barber of Seville" has extended Bogumiła’s Dziel-Wawrowska (mezzo-soprano) wings so that she could allow herself to be more easy. Patrycja Pieczara has a lot to say, the conductor's "game" she plays is natural, flexible and tamed – gives an impression of her own game, not the studied one. However the palette of gestures doesn’t allow her to fully interpret the composition yet – she still needs words, expressing remarks with a strong voice, her intonation doesn’t bore, and does not seem to be reproving. However there is something majestic in her attitude, her bending over the musician playing string instruments has a specific significance: it has something of an enchantment, controlling the element.
1. Daniel Smith (Australia)
In the third stage - as in the previous ones - Daniel Smith spread his enthusiasm to the orchestra, he knows how to lead the listener’s attention. He excellently presents himself on the scene: by gestures, sudden turning towards the group o musicians playing a motive. "Play with the music " he said to the orchestra. However, the effect of his work was: an imprecise music and disturbed proportions. When he conducted the final of the Symphony in C Minor, Op. 68 by Brahms he said to the musicians: celebrate this theme. That is right – after all, it is an allusion to the "Ode to Joy", an expression of Brahms’ admiration for Beethoven. However the tonal aspect of his interpretation, stripped of what was expressed by his words and gestures – turned out to be less impressive. The last, third part of the performance, Daniel Smith spent conducting Debussy `s “La Mer”. His intention was to extend a mood of mystery - hence the slow tempo. However the pulse of the music eventually changed, solo parts were late, the composition’s architecture was imbalanced in Brahms, as it was in Debussy.
2. Daniel Huppert (Germany)
With this conductor, the orchestra knows which way to go - his craft is certain, it’s a kind of capital. Daniel Huppert achieves the effect not by the compliments making the orchestra’s mood better, not by inspiring stories influencing musicians’ imagination, but by a clear-headed look, certainty of the form and strength of the experience which are the basis of a good contact with the orchestra. His Brahms was a stab
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