Review: Pablo Heras-Casado Conducts Houston Symphony and Lang Lang

Thursday night, the Houston Symphony and Lang Lang performed pieces Lindberg, Beethoven, and Schumann with Pablo Heras-Casado, presumptive contender for the music director post being vacated by Hans Graf. I have reviewed the young maestro before, and came away not nearly as impressed as one would think given the nimbus surrounding his name. But knowing that I can be overly cranky, I undertook to return afresh with an objective eye.

I think I did so. And while I found things to like and things that impressed me, there were profound defects in the precision and the performance that I can only attribute to the podium. Part of the problem (but only part) is Heras-Casado’s election not to use a baton.

After the jump, a detailed review.

Heras-Casado Returns

Pablo Heras-Casado

Next among the contenders in the dock is Pablo Heras-Casado. 

The Spanish conductor puzzles me. He is everywhere doing everything, generating great buzz and press, conducting major orchestras in major musical capitals of the world.Witness this NY Times Profile, a positive NY Times Review from the Mostly Mozart fetival, another favorable NY Times Review of an outdoor Beethoven and Ravel concert, and a glowing early review from the San Francisco Chronicle. 

If he is half as good as his clippings, this is a rising star that would benefit the Houston Symphony, were we to latch onto him. To hear some, he's the second coming of Gustavo Dudamel.

So what's the problem?

Maybe nothing. Maybe I'm just old and cynical. Maybe my earlier review of Heras-Casado was too cranky. Maybe the unsatisfying concert was fluke.

But just because I am old and cynical doesn't mean I'm necessarily wrong--or that I am right. After the jump some reasons why all of us (me included) ought to give Heras-Casado a fresh listen--a fresh and very objective listen.
 

The Contenders -- Now

Last spring I wrote a post on the old blog setting out the list of guest conductors for this season. These men are the presumptive contenders to be the Houston Symphony's new music director.

Since that time, one of their number spurned his engagement with the Houston Symphony for a guest conducting gig in Boston. This in turn caused a shifting in the repetoire to be covered by the remaining guests and by Hans Graf.

So after the jump, a quick look at the updated list of the contenders and their repetoire.