“Warm farewell for Van Zweden”
Het Parool, Roeland Hazendonk - Monday 14 November 2011
"The vibrant notes in Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass fly off the page in high pagan spirits; they have that everlasting intensity that only very great composers can put into sound. Van Zweden, the orchestra, which gave its utmost, and the enthusiastic Netherlands Radio Choir just let it roll from the concert stage. The volume was suited to the larger dimensions of many American concert halls.”
“Jaap van Zweden's farewell was magnificent, with no fuss”
Trouw, Peter van der Lint - Monday 14 November 2011“Last Saturday Jaap van Zweden’s last appearance as chief conductor of the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra passed without much fuss. (...) On the concert programme were not stock pieces by Mahler or Bruckner, but an inventive combination of a new violin concerto by Jennifer Higdon and the Glagolitic Mass by Leoš Janáček. Without further ado, Van Zweden went straight to the heart of both works. It was not a show-off performance, but focused and precise, bringing out the best in both the American and the Czech scores. Van Zweden is a conductor who has no trouble getting everyone who plays or sings under his baton on his side.
(...)
In a shining performance, the Netherlands Radio Choir found exactly the trenchant sound that Van Zweden evoked from the Radio Philharmonic, playing at its masterly best. And Leo van Doeselaar excelled on the organ. Bye bye and so long, Jaap!"
And Thiemo Wind in De Telegraaf (14 November 2011):
“With a glorious performance of Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass, Jaap van Zweden wound up his period as chief conductor of the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. During the long final applause masses of flowers found their way to the concert stage of the Concertgebouw, which was packed to the hilt. (...) This high-voltage performance included contributions from the Netherlands Radio Choir, four vocal soloists and organist Leo van Doeselaar. (...) All in all, the ZaterdagMatinee once again proved itself to be one of the most interesting concert series in the Netherlands.”
Laatste aanpassing op Monday 21 November 2011
