 |
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
Reviews
Debut with Dutch National Ballet & Holland Symfonia (Amsterdam Muziektheater, March 2004)
"GOODMAN STRONG AS BALLET CONDUCTOR TOO" :
"Roy Goodman is extremely versatile...Goodman is the ideal conductor
for a varied ballet performance which combines Balanchine's Theme
and Variations with music by Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky's Agon, and
Who Cares? - a medley of Gershwin songs. In the fourth movement
of Tchaikovsky's Third suite Goodman works toward the monumental
dazzling ending in an elegant and festive way. Even for Valery Gergiev,
Stravinsky's Agon appeared tricky and fragmented in a concert performance
last December; but add the Balanchine ballet and Goodman's loving
attentive treatment and all the fascinating surrealistic expression
falls naturally into place. The Gershwin commuted nicely between
strict dance tempo and symphonic big band swing. With the appointment
of their new chief, Holland Symfonia has audibly made the right
choice and plays very convincingly. The enthusiastic Goodman is
a great asset to Dutch musical life"
Kasper Jansen [NRC Handelsblad - 22 March 2004]
complete Beethoven Symphony Cycle (Nimbus) with The Hanover Band
"...Roy Goodman with The Hanover Band...what a difference these recordings made to our understanding of these works...energetic and beautifully played...characteristic of his whole cycle, which is recommendable"
Roderick Swanston [BBC CD Review - 27 November 2004]
European Union Baroque Orchestra [St John's Smith Square, London, Monday 23 June 2003]
"Roy Goodman's enthusiasm never fails to inspire and energise
those in front of him"
Hilary Finch [The Times - 28 June 2003]
Handel Messiah [Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Thursday 2 January 2003 - RSNO and chorus]
"If it is remotely within the realms of reality, and not just
some silly fantasy, then the RSNO management should pursue conductor Roy
Goodman and persuade him to add the orchestra's annual Messiah to his
diary of engagements in perpetuity. Last year, when the famed early-music
specialist took on the job for the first time, the results he produced
from both the RSNO and its chorus were revelatory; but, being the first
time, there might have been a strong element of novelty - orchestras are
notorious for reacting well to something different on a first encounter,
then turning against it.
As Goodman demonstrated yesterday in a breathtaking Messiah , whose performance
was so vibrant, so consistently stimulating, and so radiantly different
to what you might expect from a large chorus and players in a symphony
orchestra, last year's version was no novelty. Swift pacing, an ineffably
light touch, unforced playing and singing, superb articulation, and a
sense of bounce in both pulse and rhythm, were the overriding characteristics
in a Messiah that radiated life and energy. Goodman, conducting the whole
thing from memory, and with such precision and dynamism that his cues
and intentions were unmistakable, secured playing from the RSNO that was
crisp, fleet, stylish, and inimitable by any other conductor currently
on the orchestra's books"
Michael Tumelty [The Glasgow Herald - 3 January
2003]
"A Radiant Messiah - last Thursday's performance of Handel's
Messiah showed no sign of festive weariness...what Goodman achieved from
the RSNO in this Messiah was a revelation. He took the orchestra through
its paces in this work a year ago to much acclaim and they have clearly
built upon that. The balance and poise of the RSNO's phrasing, its crisp
articulation and rhythmic vitality showed a sensitivity to chamber-style
performance that I have never before felt from these players. Goodman
worked the orchestra slickly and earnestly to reflect every ounce of joy,
awe and despair in the libretto"
James
Allen [The
Daily Telegraph
- 6 January
2003]
HANDEL Alcina [Debut at San Francisco Opera]
"Rewards came from the Opera Orchestra under the deftly unobtrusive
guidance of debuting conductor Roy Goodman"
Joshua
Kosman [San Francisco
Chronicle - 21 November
2002]
"Conductor Roy Goodman, who makes his S.F. Opera debut with these
performances, led a luxurious performance, galvanizing the orchestra and
giving the singers plenty of room to breathe...it's still possible to
close your eyes and bask in the beauties of the score"
Georgia Rowe [San Francisco Times - 21 November
2002]
SCHUMANN Complete Symphonies - Hanover Band/Goodman [RCA Victor Red Seal 09026 61931-2]
"Goodman's readings are no less revelatory than Harnoncourt's.....crisp,
Classical textures and fleet tempos.....sharply etched in terms of timbre
and articulation"
Barry Millington [The London Times - 7 January 1995]
"One conductor stands well above the rest of the pack in the volume and consistency of high quality in the performance of Viennese Classics on period instruments. It is not the only area of his musical activity, but it is the one that has caught and held my attention for more than a decade. That is Roy Goodman, who I believe stands out as a voice of sense, moderation, intelligence and undogmatic practicality.
Goodman imposes a quality of motion upon this music that is light in touch, rhythmically pointed.....slow movements are done with imaginative inflections of speed and dynamics.....no dramatic points are overlooked.....all the performances are enlightening and engaging far beyond the ordinary."
John Wiser [Fanfare Magazine USA - March/April 1995]
"From the first bar they prove a revelation.....Goodman allows himself full expressive warmth.....articulation is so crisp and rhythms are so infectiously sprung.....yet there's no lack of weight or nobility.....this is a Schumann cycle to rival any in the catalogue."
Edward Greenfield [BBC Radio 3 Record Review - 8 April 1995]
"This is one of those sets where so much sounds different, novel or challenging, that it will take quite a few playings before the full import of Roy Goodman's provocative performances hits home.....it features some of the most refreshing Schumann conducting to have come my way.....textual novelty is commonplace.....Goodman's quick reflexes and keen sense of the dramatic.....much neon lighting from within, logical transitions, lithe textures and thrillingly conclusive codas.....this is a very significant set."
Robert Cowan [Gramophone - March 1995]
DÉBUT PERFORMANCE with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra
"Goodman makes his points crisply and logically. Though he leaves little to chance, never do you sense those points unserviced by musical demands. Rarely, in fact, do you see conducting this assertive producing results that sound so spontaneous."
James Mannishen [Winnipeg Free Press]
SHOSTAKOVITCH Symphony 10 [Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra]
"Roy Goodman brought unmistakable sympathy and understanding to his reading with the RLPO.....the deep soulfulness conveyed at the end of the first and third movements was a product of his sure-footed pacing and characterisation of the overall structure."
David Fanning [The Daily Telegraph - 6 March 2000]
HANDEL Opera arias and overtures [Hyperion CDA67128]
"My nomination for the best disc of the year goes to Emma Kirkby, Roy Goodman and the Brandenburg Consort. Goodman's conducting is a model of Baroque sensibility in its balance between precision and freedom.....a compelling interpretation of rarely heard masterpieces."
Berta Joncus [International Record Review - December 2000]
DÉBUT at English National Opera - Gluck's Orpheus and Eurydice
"Roy Goodman conducting contributes his brilliant sense of theatre and instinct for authentic style. The music has pace and lift, and fulfils its role of portraying the narrative.....Opera-theatre like this really challenges the imagination, and shouldn't be missed."
Tom Sutcliffe [London Evening Standard - 4 March 1999]
HAYDN SYMPHONIES for HYPERION Records
"Roy Goodman's Haydn series with the Hanover
Band has been an unmitigated pleasure. This is vital and energetic Haydn
playing where clarity and crispness are allied to a real flair for capturing
the musical character of each movement. These endlessly imaginative performances
are among the best of all period-instrument Haydn"
International Record Review
"Much as I admire Hogwood's performances, I
find myself turning even more eagerly to the Hyperion series with Roy
Goodman directing the Hanover Band. The period strings are sweeter, and
I can recommend every one of the first seven discs to have appeared"
The Guardian 2003
"Goodman and the Hanover Band respond to the music's astonishing
boldness and inventive vigour with uncommon freshness and dramatic
immediacy"
Gramophone 2003
"These recordings are aglow with aural warmth
and tonal beauty; they bubble with vitality. Glory follows upon glory
with Haydn's memorable melodies and wonderful harmonies leaping from page
to the ear. These recordings sparkle with enthusiasm as well as a love
of the repertoire..very strongly recommended"
Fanfare Magazine USA
Three début concerts with AUCKLAND PHILHARMONIA New Zealand (Nov 2007)
"The French instalment of the Auckland Philharmonia
Orchestra's The Splendour of the Baroque series saw Roy Goodman and his
musicians rendering eloquent and entertaining homage to the Muse of Versailles.
Goodman bustled on to the stage, Palladium style, smiles flashing to the
gallery…Rameau was clearly not the only hero of the evening - after
the final grand chord, the orchestra shouted "Vive le roi",
in appreciation of the conductor whose dynamism has shaped the APO's most
rewarding Spring series for years. Your last opportunity to catch this
extraordinary Englishman is on Thursday. Do not pass it by”
William Dart [New Zealand Herald - 20 November 2007]
Website Design Copyright © 2006 Malcolm Goodman MBE - Page Updated: 12 March, 2006