Daniele Rustioni makes a notable debut with the New York Philharmonic

Daniele Rustioni, the Italian conductor poised to become the Metropolitan Opera's next Principal Guest Conductor, made an auspicious debut with the New York Philharmonic on Wednesday night, just steps from the Met’s home at Lincoln Center. With his expressive gestures and commanding presence, Rustioni showed no sign of nervousness, delivering an overall notable performance.

The evening’s soloist was the world-travelled yet still boyish-looking virtuoso Joshua Bell. Despite an apparent detachment, he infused his technically immaculate rendition of Dvořák’s Violin Concerto in A minor with deep emotional resonance. From the sumptuous opening theme to the effervescently dancing finale, he navigated with ease the fiendishly difficult passages, shaped by Dvořák’s non-idiomatic writing for the violin, while delivering the long, melancholy-imbued phrases of the Adagio with simplicity and warmth.

With his extensive experience supporting a variety of vocal soloists in the opera house, Rustioni crafted silken, unobtrusive accompaniments for Bell, while allowing the lush Romantic surges to flow effortlessly. Together, soloist, conductor and orchestra achieved a remarkable balance between the Brahms-evoking structure of the concerto and the syncopated rhythms and sonorities rooted in Bohemian folklore.

Recalled to the stage, Bell offered an unusual encore: a transcription for violin and harp of Chopin’s Nocturne in C sharp minor, Op. posth., which he performed with great delicacy, joined by the Philharmonic’s principal harpist, Nancy Allen.

The evening began with a work that the orchestra had not performed in decades: the Merchant of Venice Overture, one of 11(!) that the prolific Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco composed inspired by Shakespearean plays. A score aligned with neither interwar modernism nor neo-classicism is nevertheless infused with a cinematographic flair, even though it was conceived well before Castelnuovo-Tedesco came to the United States and delved wholeheartedly into composing music for Hollywood films.

The Italian composer doesn’t offer listeners a summary of the plot. Instead, he confidently evokes characters and dramatic moments through a cohesive score that is more suggestive than illustrative. Rustioni highlighted the skilful orchestration, blending of dramatic and ethereal music. His meticulous attention to detail was evident in the Scheherazade-like moments that followed an introduction where Shylock is portrayed in similarly Oriental colours by strings playing in unison.

Having started with an oddity, the programme culminated in a well-trodden repertoire staple: Tchaikovsky's Symphony no. 4 in F minor. It was a rather brilliant performance with an ensemble that, occasionally prone to sounding uninvolved, seemed fully invigorated after the holiday break. Under Rustioni’s clear direction, the Philharmonic’s musicians illuminated the score’s unique character, marked by intense emotional contrasts, a rich orchestral palette and masterful construction.

His tendency to build tension by varying the tempo – starting slowly and then accelerating – was initially surprising but ultimately made sense, particularly in the first movement, with its episodic nature and constant ebb and flow. The wistful theme, introduced by Sherry Silar’s oboe and later echoed with heartfelt intimacy by bassoonist Judith LeClair, set the tone for a movement that delicately shifted between melancholy and tender warmth. Rustioni drove the Finale, with its whirlwind of Russian folk-inspired melodies, towards a triumphant conclusion, firmly maintaining momentum while simultaneously showcasing Tchaikovsky’s intricate orchestration.

One can only hope Rustioni will complement his forthcoming Met Opera tenure with further appearances at the Philharmonic.