William Dart
The New Zealand Herald
28 February 2005
...staggering...an almost unbearable pathos...
John Adams' The Death of Klinghoffer was fated to be the high point of AK05.... This concert performance of his opera was a courageous flagstaff for the event and an example for future festivals. In the flesh, even without staging, Klinghoffer was phenomenal theatre. Monumental choruses evoked time, place and mood as effectively as any stage set. Interactions between characters crackled and ironic juxtapositions and overlays bristled.
...
Mark Stringer's programme notes showed that the American conductor has a keen understanding of what Adams and librettist Alice Goodman were after. Musically, he showed that he could as easily stir up storms of double fortissimo from the NZSO as he could tease out shimmering, mirage-like textures.
The Opera Critic
Michael Sinclair
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra was conducted by American, Mark Stringer, who clearly understands this complex work, conveying this brilliantly to his players. The orchestra responded eloquently from shimmering pianissimo to shattering climax, underpinning the raw emotions of the characters onstage.
