Rimsky-Korsakov, Jarrell & Weber

Utah Symphony

Salt Lake City, UT

“Yankovskaya never let the orchestra overpower Zimmermann’s playing. The conductor created a fine balance between them that allowed them to mesh and bring about a unified structure to their collaboration.

She gave a dynamic reading of Tchaikovsky’s Second that captured the character of each of the four movements. Her interpretation underscored the often subtle shifts in mood, and she kept the orchestra in check for the fortissimo sections. In the opening movement, she underscored the ebullience of the music with carefully constructed climaxes and finely crafted contrasts. She managed to get the orchestra to play with a light touch and never let any section overpower the others.

The middle movements were delightful, and Yankovskaya found the perfect tempo for the ensuing Scherzo that allowed the playfulness of the music to shine through. The finale, based on three Ukrainian folk tunes, is exuberant and lively, and Yankovskaya stressed the vitality of the music in a  vivacious reading that brought out the carefree nature of the movement. 

Yankovskaya elicited clean, precise playing from the orchestra in Kitezh that highlighted the descriptive character of the music.” 
–Utah Arts Review