Critics applauded THIERRY FISCHER’s Boston Symphony debut last week (18 October), when he conducted Nielsen Symphony no.4 and Brahms Piano Concerto in D minor with soloist Rudolf Buchbinder:
Fischer led a fluid reading of this sinuous score…He showed an instinctual feel for the flow of linked movements, and more broadly, for this score’s odd musical syntax, its pairing of strangeness and inexorability…. the BSO played with a precision and commitment that made you wish it tackled more Nielsen.
Boston globe
Fischer admirably balanced yet upheld the orchestral forces in (the Brahms concerto). He also commanded glowing string sonority, here and in the other movements, and brought the movement to a taut and powerful close…. He exercised great command of dynamic and tempo contrasts (in the Nielsen), maintaining excellent tension and a strong sense of motivic interplay….It was an expert, skillful performance.
Nielsen’s exuberant Symphony No. 4 showcased the bold interpretive powers of the evening’s conductor, Thierry Fischer. With deliberate gestures and a clear sense of direction, Fischer delivered the full Nielsen, pushing the tempo for energetic readings of the outer movements but laying back to let the chamber-music-like textures of the second flow like gentle waves….
Throughout (the Brahms) Fischer wove a silky bed of orchestral accompaniment, coaxing each phrase with the same loving care rendered by the pianist.
Boston classical review.com
Playing of great responsiveness, nuance, and drama. The orchestra responded to the music with heightened sensitivity and attention to detail…. Fischer’s (performance of the Nielsen) burned satisfyingly hot…Fischer strongly emphasized the rhythmic character of Brahms’s writing and also drew a wide palate of tonal shadings…. His was a solid, lyrical reading that flowed naturally and brought just enough touches to the fore… These concerts mark an auspicious debut for the BSO’s newest guest conductor. I look forward to his return, hopefully before too long.