Couldn't do that one, auto, though I did manage the Gala Reopening of the refurbished Webster Theatre in Arbroath, a concert by the RSNO under their new Assistant Conductor, the 27 year old Austrian David Danzmayr, chosen recently from a short list of ten applicants by live sessions with the band. He fully vindicated his choice tonight in a programme that reflected his homeland: Mozart
Figaro overture and Schubert 5 formed the first half, and the second comprised music by J Strauss II, Millöcker, Helmesberger and Léhar, the last three all represented by rare pieces.
He has a wonderfully clear beat and achieves great results economically: his Strauss selection was elegant, poised and as if freshly minted, with masses of detail; the rubato was plentiful but never overdone, very echt Viennese. He was perfectly at ease with the audience during his brief chat at the start of the second half, and his conducting of the audience during the (unannounced) encore (the
Radetzky March, what else?) knocked dear old Maître Prêtre's New Year's Day efforts into a cocked hat. (Though in fact his conducting style from the shoulders up is not dissimilar, although there's far more movement lower down the body, but again not overdone.) He's already been a stipendiary of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra under Boulez and Abbado: it's early days yet, but it's a long while since I've seen a young conductor who displayed such obvious promise. One to look out for in future, I'm certain.
http://www.rsno.org.uk/cms/content/view/240/229/
