Schwäbische Zeitung, 11.06.2004 (GB):

Herbert Von Karajan Memorial Concert

Tchaikovsky: from gentle hues to the boisterous sounds of battle

ULM (gb) – This year’s Herbert von Karajan Memorial Concert, performed by the Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of James Allen Gähres at the CCU (Congress Centre Ulm), proved to be one of the most enthusiastically applauded events of the Danube Festival. As ususal the selection of works consisted of music associated with the conductor, whose world-wide career originally started in Ulm. Compositions exclusively by Tchaikovsky were chosen this season.

The Vienna Karajan Centrum had invited the young Serbian pianist Anika Vavic as a soloist for the Piano Concerto No. 1 in B minor. Already when playing the famous introductory theme Vavic impressed with exuberant vigour and superb technique. In spite of all virtuosity she never failed to perform in a musically intricate range between sensitive and powerful. Gähres and the orchestra provided the appropriate atmospheric background in alternation between lyricism – as in the almost impressionistically shimmering pastel tones of the ‘Andantino’ – and tense drama.

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