We regret that Daniel Harding's Dallapiccola/Bartók doubleheader (currently in its last performances at Milan's Teatro alla Scala) was sandwiched between such an amazing stretch of events for OC -- an exciting Inter victory, a lovely Austrian vacation for Muti's Paisiello, and Torino's excellent Graham Vick la Clemenza -- which sadly deferred the proper praise that it warranted.
Suffice to say that the Italian media was completely wooed by the elastic talent of the young Maestrino Harding, offering lots of praise in the Italian-language press for both the conductor and the principals.
Corriere della Sera's review found Daniel Harding infused with a new sense of maturity and understanding (as during his last appearances at la Scala in March 2007 for Strauss's Salome, the critics found him unanimously precocious...although OC argues that it isn’t necessarily a bad thing), this time calling his performances nothing short of "superb".
Daniel Harding shared a few keen insights with la Repubblica last week as well for Luigi Dallapiccola's Il Prigioniero/Béla Bartók's Il castello del duca Barbablù, who were equally overwhelmed at the coherency and temperament of the two separate operas.
The Financial Times reviewed as well:
"What impresses most is the lucidity and beauty of the score under Daniel Harding’s baton. The music may be 12-tone but it is leavened by such moments as the Jailer’s jaunty revolutionary song and it underscores the Prisoner’s hopefulness with perky textures and tempered astringency."We sadly regret we won't see the conductor in Milan next season for Scala's just announced role-call, although the Associate Press seems to think that Harding indeed will be conducting Idomeneo in place of the scheduled Myung-Whun Chung. (click for a legible version)