Stéphane Denève and the SLSO return to Powell Symphony Hall
"(...) These concerts are abbreviated; this one was just an hour long, with no intermission. But it incorporated an awful lot of fine playing. (...) Then came a familiar work, Beethoven’s...
Authoritative French and Russian music from Denève and the SLSO
"Denève began with a bilingual greeting to the audience (“Good evening! Bon soir!”) and spoke briefly about the music. He’s steadily winning over St. Louisans with his combination of personal...
Denève, SLSO take audiences on a profound journey
"(...) Denève, a pair of well-matched soloists, the St. Louis Symphony Chorus and the SLSO gave an exceptional performance of just one composition, Gustav Mahler's inspired and inspiring...
The Philadelphia Orchestra breaks hearts (and strings) with violinist Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider
"(...) The concerto is long, and so the only counterweight to it needed was a symphony: Tchaikovsky’s Fifth. (...) Denève brought an individualized dynamic here and an unhurried cadence there. But basically...
Cleveland Orchestra, guests capture the ineffable in sound at Severance Hall
"(...) In four works conducted by Stephane Deneve, music director of the Brussels Philharmonic, the orchestra on its only subscription concert this month managed to conjure everything from tranquility and the...
Stéphane Denève offers a program of love with the St.Louis Symphony Orchestra
"Stéphane Denève has been making beautiful music with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra since his auspicious debut in the fall of 2003" (...) "Denève is a splendid accompanist; he and the...
‘Bolero’ at the Hollywood Bowl — a perfect 10?
"(...) The performances were alluringly malleable. Denève, who becomes music director of the St. Louis Symphony next year, squeezed orchestral details out as though they were colored paints in tubes. What was...
Cleveland Orchestra strikes musical gold with Deneve, Vinikour
"(...) His performances of the Poulenc concerto and Rachmaninoff's second symphony Thursday night are a good indication of why his Brussels and Philly appointments were recently extended. (...) Deneve managed...
Philadelphia Orchestra delivers rousing opening to season at SPAC
"(...) Selections from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker Suite” were exuberant and light as air. Deneve set brisk tempos, got seamless ensemble work and lots of flair. (...) Tchaikovsky’s “Solemn...
Hold the light sabers: This is John Williams off the big screen but still substantial at the Bowl
"Stéphane Denève continues his rise in the symphonic ranks, having just been appointed to succeed David Robertson as music director of the St. Louis Symphony, starting in the 2019-2020 season. The Los Angeles...
Young pianist shines at orchestra’s Mann Center Tchaikovsky show
"(...) most works on the all-Tchaikovsky program would have been exhausted from over-exposure long ago were it not for succeeding generations of performers re-interpreting the music in ways that keep it...
Wildness, with a sense of poetry
"(...) The concert began with the Passacaglia from Benjamin Britten’s “Peter Grimes (...) Denève condensed a remarkable amount of the psychic energy of the opera into seven minutes. (...) The dapper...
Brilliant contrasts from Denève and the SLSO
"Denève, in his seventh week with the SLSO since 2003, is always a welcome visitor to Powell Symphony Hall. With a gift for managing large forces, as well as smaller ensembles, he had an...
Philadelphia Orchestra makes a spectacular showing at Kravis Center
"Under principal guest conductor Stéphane Denève, the orchestra gave stirring performances of two popular Russian works Tuesday at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, playing with...
Philadelphia Orchestra hits exquisite balance in Kravis performance
"(...) The Philadelphia Orchestra was always known for its sheer beauty of sound, and that was evident Wednesday. They were led by Principal Guest Conductor Stéphane Denève, who not only had magnificent...
Brilliant Prokofiev from the Cleveland Orchestra led by Stéphane Denève
"(...) Although the three works were all identifiably Prokofiev, there was considerable contrast between the three works, and guest conductor Stéphane Denève was impressive in illuminating significant aspects of...
Cleveland Orchestra displays breadth, abundant animation on all-Prokofiev program
"(...) Playing only Prokofiev, the orchestra and conductor Stephane Deneve Thursday night at Severance Hall crafted an evening without not only dull moments but any moments less than scintillating. (...)...
Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra “came in like a lamb and went out like a lion”
"(...) Conductor Stéphane Denève was also a force of nature, bursting onto the podium to deliver an infectiously enthusiastic introduction (...) Denève moulded a performance of the Pastoral Symphony that was...