“”(…) The peripatetic life is the conductor’s lot, especially for someone like Denève, who is in increasing demand thanks to his energetic musicianship and imaginative programming. But it is one he accepts willingly. “To be honest, I’m living the dream,” he said.
(…) That Denève can make an orchestra without this tradition sound convincing in French repertoire is clear from a fantastic 2012 recording of Debussy’s orchestral music with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. In contrast to many recent accounts of this music, which emphasize abstract clarity, Denève gets the sonic precision along with a sensuously full-blooded sound and visceral excitement.
(…) One of Denève’s most unusual new projects will begin next year, when he will become chief conductor of the Brussels Philharmonic and the inaugural director of its Centre for Future Orchestral Repertoire. The center will begin life as a website that will have comprehensive information, such as scoring and performance history, for every symphonic work composed since 2000. Relatedly, he will play at least one piece of 21st-century music on each Brussels program. (…)”
Denève raises the stakes for imaginative orchestral programs
