Baxa’s Excellent Reading
The musical side of the production was under the direction of Norbert Baxa, who elicited an energetic presentation from the Orchestra of Wexford Festival Opera. He successfully drew out the beauty of Dvorak’s score, revealing its pleasing textures and wonderful melodies, whilst keeping a firm hold on the dramatic and emotional currents that sweep through the work.
He also gave sufficient attention to the singers so that there was always a pleasing balance between the pit and the stage, which, given the differences in the power of the singers’ voices and the dynamic shifts in the orchestra, was no easy task.
A. Dvořák: ARMIDA /Wexford Festival Opera
By Alan Neilson
Yet another debutant was Czech conductor Norbert Baxa, clearly master of Dvořák’s late operatic idiom, with its familiar Bohemian manners modified to enable contrast between the music of Saracen and Christian.
The WFO Orchestra offered up rich effects, and given the martial subject, finally reversed Rafael Kubelík’s dictum that “in Bohemia, the trumpets never call to battle, they call only to the dance”.
A. Dvořák: ARMIDA /Wexford Festival Opera
By Roy Westbrook
Conductor Norbert Baxa formidably delivers the challenging score, with the Wexford chorus (trained by Andrew Synnott) and orchestra giving their all. Presented at this standard, Armida proves well worth encountering.
THE STAGEA. Dvořák: ARMIDA /Wexford Festival Opera
By George Hall
La direction de Norbert Baxa est aussi théâtrale que la partition le lui permet: le chef fait attention aux chanteurs – les voix ne sont jamais couvertes, et pourtant la pâte orchestrale le permettrait facilement – et donne aussi à entendre l’architecture symphonique de la partition. Il se révèle ainsi particulièrement soigneux à l’égard du détail de l’écriture instrumentale. Il livre ainsi une lecture dynamique et construite.
Avant Scѐne OpéraA. Dvořák: ARMIDA /Wexford Festival Opera
By Jules Cavalié
Norbert Baxa, che guida con equilibrio e competenza i complessi del festival e i solisti in un'esecuzione di tutto rispetto.
L’APE MUSICALEA. Dvořák: ARMIDA /Wexford Festival Opera
By Roberta Pedrotti
Der Tscheche Norbert Baxa dirigiert Chor und Orchester der Wexford Festival Opera mit dem richtigen Gespür für die lyrischen Szenen, verhilft aber auch der Dramatik der Oper zu ihrem Recht. Er trifft das Dvořák’sche Idiom ganz genau und sorgt sogar dann noch für Spannung, wenn die Musik gelegentlich langatmig ist. Das Premierenpublikum bedankte sich mit enthusiastischem Applaus.
KIELER NACHRICHTENA. Dvořák: ARMIDA /Wexford Festival Opera
By Jürgen Gahre
Norbert Baxa taucht mit dem Wexford Festival Orchestra mit aller Wucht in die Partitur ein.
ONLINE MUSIK MAGAZINA. Dvořák: ARMIDA /Wexford Festival Opera
By Thomas Molke
