Pablo Heras-Casado leads a “vivid” performance with the San Francisco Symphony

24 Oct 2016

“Pablo Hereras-Casado is one of the young conductors most in demand internationally. Currently, he leads the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in New York. A charismatic figure, Heras-Casado conducts with energetic flair, eschewing a baton and leading with vigorous arms, expressive hands, and athletic body.

Opening the program was Mozart’s 29^th Symphony in A Major, K. 201 … he [Heras-Casado] led a brisk rendition, highlighting Mozart’s newfound mastery of loud/soft dynamics throughout. In the Andante, Mozart made expressive use of the oboe. The humorous Menuetto then led into the frenetic finale, full of color and verve as the orchestra responded to Heras-Casado’s conducting.

Next came Robert Schumann’s Cello Concerto in A minor of 1850 with Alisa Weilerstein as soloist. Abounding in sumptuous melodies, this work’s three movements are played without a pause. Weilerstein, as usual, offered a vigorous performance, her tone burnished in the low range though occasionally brittle up top. Weilerstein’s cello fairly sang the achingly beautiful melodies Schumann wrote for this instrument, and Heras-Casado’s conducting brought out the vivid interplay between cello and orchestra …

After intermission the orchestra performed Dvorák’s 7^th Symphony in D minor … The finale was fiery, with liberal use of brass, woodwinds, and timpani, as Heras-Casado energetically led the orchestra in bringing this Dvorák 7^th Symphony to a rousing finish.”

James Roy MacBean – Berkeley Daily Planet