California Symphony Orchestra concert of 22 January 2012
California Symphony Orchestra
Robert Moody, guest conductor
Joshua Roman, cello
"[Roman] and the orchestra, superbly conducted by Robert Moody, were shadowing one another, breathing together. It was a textbook team effort: Moody's tempi were on the money -- precise yet fluid, letting the music ebb and flow, allowing the soloist and orchestra to fall in behind his comfortable and confident leadership."
"Moody -- who is music director of orchestras in Winston-Salem, N.C., and Portland, Maine -- ought to be invited back. Clearly, he connected with the California Symphony, which gave a taut and powerfully Romantic (though never over-ripe) performance of Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 to close the program. It's a behemoth of a piece, about an hour long, but Moody's shaping of tempi, texture, mood and dynamics turned it into a single clear story.
It was exciting to see the buy-in from the orchestra; many of its members were visibly engaged by conductor and score."
San Jose Mercury News
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 with Portland Symphony Orchestra
"Music director Robert Moody seems to have so identified with the music that the composer himself would have been delighted with its emotional effect."
Portland Press Herald, 27 January 2011
Portland Symphony Orchestra
" I have seldom heard the Portland Symphony in such brilliant form as in the Shostakovich Symphony No. 10 in E minor ... the portrait of Stalin is one of the most violent pieces of music ever written, executed by the PSO with such power as to be the ultimate argument for the necessity of live music."
Portland Press Herald, 15 January 2009
Charleston Symphony Orchestra
"Guest conductor Robert Moody led his musicians with skill and authority, drawing precise and passionate playing from them...
You can come back anytime, Mr. Moody, so long as you keep bringing us music like this."
Charleston (SC) City Paper, 12 November 2008
Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exibition
"Moody's interpretation of it was right on, the effect ravishing and the performance a perfect illustration of the importance of live music."
"After the final gigantic chords of the "Great Gate of Kiev," Moody and the orchestra received a long, foot-stamping standing ovation."
Portland Press Herald, 9 October 2008
Berlioz Symphonie fantastique with Virginia Symphony
"He had a measured view of this often excitable piece, and he drew from the orchestra a taut and disciplined performance. Scene in the country was especially provocative, while the final two movements provided drama and energy, benefitting from the conductor's unhurried and rhythmically tight manner."
Virginia Pilot, 29 September 2008
Triad Symphonies Combine for Beautiful Performance
"The crowning glory of the evening was Richard Strauss' tone poem, Ein Heldenleben. This is this critic's first review of Moody's conducting. I found his style to be direct and sincere, and the orchestra responded well to his direction. He was able to elicit large climactic moments, as well as tender passages."
(Winston-Salem and Greensboro Symphonies in joint performance)
Greensboro News and Record, 20 September 2008
Difficult Mahler proves a breeze for Moody and the Portland Symphony Orchestra
"Soon-to-be musical director Robert Moody has already shown what he can do with the orchestra, but Tuesday's performance, before a large and enthusiastic audience, took it to new heights. The Mahler First Symphony is one of my favorites, but I hadn't remembered just how spectacular it can be when played live.
The last movement is all about climaxes. There are so many that in lesser hands it could become a comedy skit. However, Mahler and Moody make them so varied and inventive that one wishes the sequence of codas would never end."
Portland Press Herald, 8 May 2008
Verdi's Messa da Requiem
"There were many moments to cherish during yesterday's performance of Verdi's Messa da Requiem, which was conducted superbly by Robert Moody ... As for Moody, he has made no secret of the fact that he enjoys conducting works with a vocal component. I will make no secret of my joy in hearing what he's doing with Requiem."
Winston-Salem Journal, 10 March 2008
Handel’s Messiah with Winston-Salem Symphony
"I basked in one of the most joy-filled performances of a major choral work I have ever heard. Both the members of the choir and the orchestra smiled frequently, clearly delighted with their singing or playing. No one beamed with shear enthusiasm more than Moody himself as the performance 'got its groove' and often bounced along on Handel's vital rhythms. Both singers and musicians responded instantly to Moody's refined adjustments of dynamics or expression. Ornaments were deployed with taste and style by everyone."
Classical Voice of North Carolina (CVNC.org), 14 December 2007
Beethoven Violin Concerto with Itzhak Perlman
"Throughout it all, Moody was on top of everything, keeping balances between soloist and orchestra optimal and bringing out the energy and drive in every tutti bar, fireworks and delicate subtleties included."
The Winston-Salem Journal, 10 November 2006
Marquez Danzon No. 2, Mozart Piano Concerto No. 19 with Orion Weiss, Tchaikovsky Sym. No. 2
"Guest Conductor Robert Moody starts by getting the tiniest details right and then builds a monumental structure on that foundation. He is an energetic and engaging conductor who seems well liked by the orchestra, which gave him their best performance in many months."
Portland Press Herald (Maine), 16 November 2006
Tchaikovsky overture to Romeo and Juliet, Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini, Prokoviev music from Romeo and Juliet
under Robert Moody's direction, the symphony is playing with a precision and verve that was wanting in the past...the orchestra delivered the music with an arresting combination of aggression, grit, and delicacy. Moody prompted a big, bold sound from the orchestra. The listener felt seduced"
The Winston-Salem Journal, 13 February 2006
Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony
"The second half was devoted to Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony. Not enough can be said for Moody's transformative performance of a symphony so heated in its emotions it threatens to fly apart at any given moment. The trick is to keep it together without turning down the heat, which Moody did...Moody imbued the Rachmaninoff with energy and magnetically aligned ensemble."
The Arizona Republic, 16 April 2004
Bernstein Symphony 3, "Kaddish" with Jamie Bernstein, narrator
"the all-Bernstein concert was one of the best recently given. The evening was large in scope, ambition and pleasure. Conductor Robert Moody should get credit, not only for managing the orchestra, two choruses and soloist with impeccable taste, but for bringing such adventurous programming in the first place."
The Arizona Republic, 2 November 2003
Prokofiev's Symphony no 5
"Robert Moody led the Winston-Salem Symphony in a rousing version of Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5...Square-like martial rhythms were delivered with clarity and incision, and stately cadences reminiscent of French Baroque overtures gave the work a sense of grandeur that reflected the image of Soviet power. Moody was equally able to inject slow, soul searching sustained melodies with passion and reflection.
Moody's unusual ability to prepare orchestral accompaniments respectfully was also superb. In a world where limited rehearsal time prompts many directors to give short shrift to orchestra as accessory, it was refreshing to hear Moody's sense of teamwork and considerate preparation."
The Winston-Salem Journal, 27 September 2004
Ravel's Mother Goose Suite
"Credit associate conductor Robert Moody with bringing out every nuance of timbre in the program's second half. Ravel's Mother Goose Suite and Kodaly's Hary Janos Suite. Moody voiced each passage so as to bring out a balance of colors appropriate to it, from the magic fairy garden of the Ravel finale, to the burnished brass eruptions of the Kodaly."
The Arizona Republic, 25 October 2002
Best Saturday-Night Date for Classical Music Lovers—Robert Moody:
"As the Valley's arts organizations struggle for economic survival, we hold up associate conductor Robert Moody as a compelling reason to support the Phoenix Symphony. Were his orchestra reduced to a tin whistle and a second hand set of bongos, we'd wager that Maestro Moody still could conjure an inspired performance to delight the most discerning listener. With eloquence and humor, he amiably explains the pieces he conducts, making classical music accessible—and interesting—even to symphonic novices."
Phoenix New Times, Fall 2002 "Best of Phoenix" Issue
Prokofiev's Symphony no 5
"Patrons of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra are in for a treat this weekend...Robert Moody, guiding the musicians through inspiring selections at today's concert. Moody showed an excellent rapport with the other musicians. His hand and upper-body movements triggered crisp responses from the orchestra.
Clarinetist David Ross and flutist Melissa Colgin-Abeln rode the offset beats of Moody's baton like bronco riders. The secret to Prokofiev [Symphony No. 5] is the detailed, industrious placement of thousands of notes, and the orchestra gave an impressive rendering of this very difficult piece of music."
The El Paso Times, 18 September 2004
Haydn's Creation
"At the podium, associate conductor Robert Moody substituted for music director Hermann Michael, who was under the weather. Moody's own thorough delight in the work shone through his attentive and loving treatment of both instrumental and choral lines. Haydn could not have wished for a more astute conductor."
The Arizona Republic, 8 May 1999
Kalman's Countess Maritza
"Il direttore del coro della compagnia, Robert Moody, sostituiva, nella recita a cui abbiamo assistito, il maestro John Crosby, indisposto: il risultato e stato brillante. (Chorus master for the company, Robert Moody, substituted, as he had assisted maestro John Crosby, who was ill. The result was brilliant.)"
L'Opera Magazine (Italy), September 1999 Of Santa Fe Opera
PSO Messiah
"The PSO Messiah under Moody has entered the arena of Valley must-sees for Christmastide."
The Arizona Republic, 12 December 2003
Holst's The Planets
"Conducted by PSO Associate Conductor Robert Moody, this was one of the season's biggest, most important and most exciting concerts, not only for Glass [Timpani Concerto], but for a potent and sensitive rendering of Holst's The Planets...Moody has a theatrical sense that is apt for music of this scope, but he also tempers that sense with control and with intelligent choices. He took chances in pressing some of the score's tempo indications to the max, which paid off."
The Arizona Republic, 6 January 2001
Adams, Rossini, Mahler and Dvorak
"...featured an eclectic program of Adams, Rossini, Mahler and Dvorak in Robert Moody's fine Classic's Concert conducting debut...His direction was outstanding, resulting in standing ovations for the ensemble...Moody conducted with vision and sensitivity throughout, bringing out all the colors of the work, achieving a radiant, burnished sound in the ensemble. Dynamics were particularly fine."
The Evansville Courier (Indiana), 23 February 1997
Santa Fe Opera Review
"Kudos to Robert Moody's preparation of the chorus...[which] had a frightful clarity."
Opera News, December 1999 [Santa Fe Opera Review]
Brevard Music Center Review
"Moody conducted...the sound was rich and full, the dynamics finely controlled. The pitch never wavered, and the interpretation was totally musical...The performance was extraordinary."
The Charlotte Observer, 25 July 1993
Stravinsky's Pulcinella Suite
"Robert Moody turned out to be a conductor of considerable skill...Tempos were centered, rhythms had definition, balance was always reasonable and dynamics were never out of control. He displayed an efficient right-hand stick technique, with a left hand that was constantly asking for expression. Moody seemed most at home with the Stravinsky [Pulcinella Suite], shaping the dancey movements with an easy élan."
The Arizona Republic, 10 October 1998
Evansville Philharmonic (IN) Pops conducting debut, with Maureen McGovern
"If the former queen of the movie disaster film them songs has become the queen of versatility, then Moody must be the prince. Moody has said that he tries to 'treat every concert as if it's the most important performance on the face of the earth.' That's what he did yesterday, and the result was a dynamic performance by the orchestra...The first half ended with 'The Impossible Dream,' in which the personable young conductor noted the guest artist had achieved 'in spades.' Indeed, and my guess is his turn is coming."
The Evansville Press, 7 February 1994