Kochanovsky gives a revelatory Tchaikovsky ‘Pathétique’
UK Tour Dresden Philharmonic
This spring evening welcomed the Dresden Philharmonic on their sixth tour to the UK, and we were privileged to be acquainted with one of Europe’s most gifted conductors – Stanislav Kochanovsky. Born in Leningrad in 1981, he has collaborated with Russia’s finest orchestras and has quickly developed a major career directing opera, ballet and symphony orchestras across the world. In 2019, he made his UK debut with the Philharmonia Orchestra. His repertoire is wide-ranging, and he constantly seeks new repertoire from less-familiar composers. [...]
Tchaikovsky Sixth Symphony - from the opening bars it was clear this was to be an extraordinary performance. There was no overly dramatic conducting or heroic mannerisms, everything in Kochanovsky’s reading was given to a truthful interpretation of the score. [...]
Kochanovsky allowed the slightest of breaks before he launched into the Finale: Adagio lamentoso. This initial spell of poignancy was handled masterly by the conductor in shaping the great drama through overwhelming passion on the violins – almost inevitably this only heralded the terrible crash of the percussion and the brass before ever so slowly descending into complete stillness. Kochanovsky’s handling of this fall into the abyss was magnificently judged and attained. Although I have heard this symphony many times, this performance ranks among the most significant in recent memory. [...]
It is remarkable when a conductor can mould such a transfixing performance of what we think is a well-known symphony – Stanislav Kochanovsky has something novel to tell us in his music-making in his search for fresh ideas in expression. In the autumn, he will begin his Chief Conductorship of the NDR Radiophilharmonie, and hopefully, it will not be long before he appears again in Scotland for he is one of the most fascinating conductors in the music world today.