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“A stand-in worth his weight in gold” and “an inspired master of communication”
Andrés Orozco-Estrada has proved to be a “stand-in worth his weight in gold” (Kurier) and “an inspired master of communication” (Standard) when in November he conducted once again three subscription concerts with the Vienna Philharmonic in the Musikverein. After Riccardo Muti was forced to withdraw due to ill health, Orozco-Estrada took over at short notice. And not for the first time, having made his début with the Vienna Philharmonic in October 2010 following a cancellation by Esa-Pekka Salonen. The audiences applauded the musicians and their conductor enthusiastically at all three concerts. The Standard sang their praises: “Cherubini's Overture in G made its appearance with a mysterious lightness of touch, rippling in its melodic grace (…). The Overture showed the Philharmonic’s sensitivity and Estrada’s energetic approach to virtuoso passages (…), whilst consciously moulding the melodious elements throughout. This was confirmed in Schubert's 4th Symphony: employing tempi which tended to broaden (…) Estrada sought an intonation which was sensitive and also meditative in the second movement, flowing into a perfumed delight in the melodiousness of the third movement. And at the same time an intensity could be heard which was far removed from that sweet melodiousness as in Igor Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto in D; despite every effort to achieve a balance it also contained a rustic dance rhythm, not least since Rainer Honeck was now and then able to impart to the solo the rough-hewn quality required for this.” The Kurier's review was also extremely positive: “He has yet to conduct a 'regular' subscription concert with the Philharmonic: he is nevertheless worth his weight in gold as a stand-in. People are talking about Andrés Orozco-Estrada, that charismatic principal conductor of the Tonkünstler Orchestra who has just this weekend for the second time saved a Philharmonic concert in the Musikverein. And extremely well at that. (…) Stravinsky would almost certainly have been delighted, as Honeck performed his solos with a total lack of vanity. A virtuoso, for sure, but one who is at the service of the music. And on top of that Orozco-Estrada proved to be an inspired master of communication, who all the musicians rightly applauded at the end: the maestro was more than just a good trustee in Cherubini's (Muti loves this composer!) Overture in G major. Orozco-Estrada also triumphed at the podium with an immensely expressive orchestra in Schubert's 4th Symphony. Rarely has the “Tragic” been so understandable in all its details. A cause for celebration for the stand-in and for Honeck, who also performed as leader of the orchestra in the Schubert.”