“…again a really impressive evening for the Ballett am Rhein, which positions
itself in the great tradition of dance, and in a genial way….the performance of the very good Duesseldorf Symphony …Dante Anzolini is a canny leader…”

“Finally Schlaepfer’s Neither. The Duesseldorf Orchestra under the guidance of Dante Anzolini and the soprano Alexandra Lubchanksy work intensively in broad sound planes, the choreographer follow the music as if he accentuated the space rather than the time…”

“The principal section concerned the world premiere of Martin Schlaepfer’s choreography to Feldman’s Neither, the ‘no-opera’ on text by Samuel Beckett, that still was only the sound vehicle to music. M. Schlaepfer succeds to create the circle’s quadratur, making something really not possible to choregraph into soemthing (seemingly) obvious….always coming back magic moments where music and scene harmonize…Dante Anzolini brings the Duesseldorfer Orchestra to a for long-not-heard high level.”

“Prokofiev’s music, which switches between melodic charm, rapid passageworks, lyric broadness and even irony, demands -because of its rhythmic originalities and refined inspiration- highly developped playing culture. (That was) not a problem for the Brucknerorchester, under the guidance of Dante Anzolini, who had constantly an eye on the stage, the other on the orchestra’s pit.”

“…surely, there could be no better argument for the survival of the NMSO than the brillant concert it proceeded to play at Popejoy Hall…Anzolini led (Brahms Third Symphony)… (with the) seemingly intent on polishing every detail. Anzolini applied his reading consistently throughout the work with a strong pulse and no lack of passionate outpouring… The Andante was a show of woodwinds with luxurious phrases, probing great depths of solemnity, as though a musical depiction of a sunset…The Poco Allegretto, no kpking Scherzo, sings a brooding minor theme. The finale expends all its energy in the first half, then slowly increases in glowing grandeur, ending with a quiet reverence -the very opposite sentiment of the mood in which the symphony began…”

“..the often understimated Munchener Symphoniker orchestra ws in a splendid mood, played the Bach First Suite for Orchestra with romantic retro-sound -which one has to appreciate once again in the maelstrom of persistent search for period-music sound. Of course the Mozart Symphony in A Major KV 201 could sound more angular, but conductor Dante Anzolini much more felt like making the best out of the limitless dynamic finesse,”

New Era Brings Buzz (and Big Budgets) to the MET (Title)

“…Finally, there was the company’s premiere production of <a href=»http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/g/philip_glass/index.html?inline=nyt-per»>Philip Glass</a>’s landmark 1980 work, “Satyagraha.” For me, even during the prime creative period that fostered this work, Mr. Glass too often shifted into a default mode of ritualistic repetitions. Still, with Phelim McDermott’s totemic production, the sensitive conducting of Dante Anzolini, an admirable cast and the Met’s stalwart chorus, the opera emerged as a humane, often profound exploration of Gandhi’s courageous and savvy politics of nonviolence. The tenor Richard Croft brought aching poignancy to the role of Gandhi. And in the final performance, the tenor Alan Oke, in his Met debut, was a comparably moving and distinguished Gandhi.

Bringing this timely work to New York audiences was a smart move on Mr. Gelb’s part. Now it’s on to next season, full of his big, and expensive, plans.”

New York Times, Anthony Tommasini, May 21, 2008

Full Review

“Conducting with spacious beauty, Dante Anzolini brings the score to a quiet,
magical finale”

New York Magazine, Justin Davidson, April 21, 2008

“Those who attend Philip Glass’s “Satyagraha” at the Metropolitan Opera would be well-advised to read the program notes beforehand and then allow themselves to simply surrender to its hypnotic visual and musical magic….

…it is the hypnotic music that submerges the listener into an understanding of the concept. Sinking into it, one feels viscerally how repetition adds power, and how the individual commitment of each participant adds up to a political movement. Indeed, the music, which sounds simple, is very difficult to perform because of its long stretches without markers or variation and demands unusual concentration from its performers. The Met’s forces were superbly up to the task. The orchestra of winds, strings and keyboards, expertly conducted by Dante Anzolini, expressed both stasis and relentless, onward flow. The excellent chorus supplied mass, texture and even menace: The opening of Act II, in which Gandhi is stalked by the citizens of Durban, features a men’s chorus (costumed in clown-like colors) repeating the syllables “ha-ha-ha” to terrifying effect.”

Wall Street Journal, Heidi Waleson, April 19, 2008

Full Review PDF

“…the evening…is accompanied by musicianship of the very high order. Conductor Dante Anzolini…keeps a tight rein…”

Variety, Eric Myers, April 15, 2008