“On that note, it was a terrific night for the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra and conductor Evan Rogister, who made something of a furnace out of the orchestra pit. In the first act, the strings beautifully modeled the cat-and-mouse feinting of the lovers’ first encounter; in the fifth, they perfectly channeled the rough grain of grief. They sounded downright heavenly in the instrumental preludes to the acts (consolidated for this production into two parts).”
“The opera began with the hurried, agitating, anxiety-inducing overture. Here, and throughout the evening, WNO’s orchestra played spectacularly. One wouldn’t describe its performance as flashy or pyrotechnical, yet the ensemble unassumingly accentuated every detail, every dynamic, every intricacy of Gounod’s genius score. Conductor Evan Rogister deserves maximal plaudits.”
“Conductor Evan Rogister conducted with sensitivity to the music and the Washington National Orchestra performed with taste.”
Broadway World
“WNO Principal Conductor Evan Rogister, in his only appearance this season, handily brought forward the potboiler elements of Gounod’s score in a performance that never risked growing dull or indulgent, the work’s nearly three hours flying by under his baton. Large format scenes like the fateful duel and opening party brimmed with a sense of forward momentum and energy, aided by winning, responsive performances from the WNO Opera Orchestra and Chorus.”
Parterre
“Tying it all up in a bow, the WNO brings the score vividly to life under the energetic baton of conductor Evan Rogister.”
Metro Weekly