14th June 2021, Christian Hertzog, The San Diego Union-Tribune
“…these performances deeply moved me in a rare way for these old warhorses. Both works seemed new. Playing was uncluttered yet expressive. Tempos were faster than usual, but the ensemble work was precise and the intonation impressive, considering the humidity and falling temperature as the night went on. Under Francis’s baton, Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 was a tragic yet noble discourse, Beethoven’s Fifth a relentless vehicle of revolutionary fury and fervor that drove on to a triumphant conclusion…
Saturday’s concert ended with Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 in E-flat major, notably rendered with grandeur, drive, and humor.”
