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James Conlon is praised for conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic and pianist Yuja Wang
“...the matinee belonged not to an idol but to Conlon. He began the program with a riveting performance of Benjamin Britten’s “Sinfonia da Requiem” and ended it with a compellingly dramatic account of Dvorák’s Seventh Symphony…Conlon, as music director of Los Angeles Opera, is an avid Britten advocate and has begun a multiyear Britten opera project with his company across the street from Disney. He gave a magisterial performance of the 20-minute symphony, with a full measure of transcendence at the end…Conlon conducted Dvorák’s Seventh without a score and without breaks between movements. He imbued gruff drama with moments of sweet lyricism and swept the whole along with sweeping gestures. Conlon went not for illuminating detail but a thick, rich sound. The orchestra supplied it, strongly, here as in the memorable Britten.”
