Press & Reviews

From the mysterious opening of the first movement through the ecstatic final bars, Ponjuán maintained structural clarity while allowing Beethoven”s revolutionary vision to shine through. The orchestra played with exceptional commitment, responding to the conductor”s clear beat and expressive gestures.

The finale brought the house down, with the combined forces of orchestra, chorus, and soloists delivering the “Ode to Joy” with conviction and radiance.

Ponjuán”s reading of the Alpine Symphony showcased both the work”s pictorial brilliance and its underlying architecture. The orchestra responded with playing of exceptional virtuosity, from the shimmering opening sunrise to the work”s majestic conclusion.

Particularly effective was Ponjuán”s pacing of the work”s long ascent and descent, maintaining dramatic momentum while allowing Strauss”s kaleidoscopic orchestration to register in all its detail. The performance confirmed this conductor”s mastery of large-scale symphonic writing.

Ponjuán”s approach to the Requiem emphasized its consolatory nature, drawing singing tone from the orchestra that perfectly complemented the Philadelphia chorus. The performance built inexorably toward the radiant final movement, “Blessed are the dead,” which arrived with hard-won transcendence rather than easy triumph.

Soloists Golda Schultz and Matthias Goerne were ideally suited to Brahms”s music, and Ponjuán gave them generous space while maintaining the work”s structural momentum. The orchestra responded with playing of exceptional beauty and precision, particularly in the strings” luminous tone during “How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place.”

The full review praised the orchestra’s precision and Ponjuán’s interpretative choices, noting particularly effective was his handling of the symphony’s dramatic arc from tragedy to triumph.

“Ponjuán’s interpretation revealed structural insights that made Mahler’s five-movement design feel both inevitable and surprising. The brass fanfares opened with commanding authority, while the strings brought a chamber-like intimacy to the Adagietto.”

The review concluded by noting this as one of the season’s standout performances.