Press

R. Wagner: The Valkyrie
Marseille Opera / February 2022

German conductor Adrian Prabava meticulously enunciated the orchestral flow, finding evident pleasure in the anger of his meddlesome tubas, and finding in the end phenomenal volume for Loges wall of flames. We did not see him, or his players until the applause at the very end, though he and his players were the principal motivation and force of the performance. (Michael Milenski, Opera Today)

The orchestra of the Opéra de Marseille, conducted with intelligence and a sense of nuance by Adrian Prabava, who masters Wagner under his baton and highlights situations imbued with the feelings of humanity that emerge from the most intimate part of the Ring. (Michel Egea, Concert Classic)

(…) the German-Indonesian conductor Adrian Prabava is one of the positive surprises of the evening; he skilfully conducts a well-disposed Philharmonic Orchestra of Marseille and knows particularly how to manage the chamber music passages while taking care of the colors of Richard Wagner's score.    (Emmanuel Andrieu, Opera Online)

Being present from the beginning, although invisible, the orchestra finally appeared when the lights turned on. It received a well-deserved tribute, as well as [the conductor] Adrian Prabava (…) The premiere on Wednesday evening seemed to be of a very good standard, excellent performance of the strings, brass, woodwinds, with refinements in the sharpness which reinforce the interaction of the leitmotifs and made it possible to obtain this continuous flow which is essential for the entire work. Accents, intensities, but also melodic lines, the hybrid character of the music appears here very clearly.                                   (Maurice Salles, Forum Opera)

We know that the opera house of Marseille likes to collaborate with their acquainted artists regularly. This is the case with the conductor of this Valkyrie,  Adrian Prabava. The German conductor is embossed by this culture (. . .) While one might have feared an overpowering sound in the brass as we often hear from Wagner, the maestro shows great thoroughness and great finesse in front of the orchestra, mastering the power of the whole. (Bruno Alberro, Ventoux Opera)

Placed at backstage, hidden by a curtain of black tulle, the musicians played under the baton of Adrian Prabava who is, as a good Wagnerian, aware that this work is the most intimate of the Ring cycle, offering a nuanced and fine reading capable of exacerbating the feelings of the protagonists.                (DestiMed/France DayFR)

Having Lawrence Foster withdrawn from the production for personal reasons,  Adrian Prabava takes his place at short notice. Conducting (…) without seeing the singers, he imposes rather moderate tempos, gives the colors, finds the right sounds, never covers the singers even at the climax of the dynamic. The maestro knows how to bring out each solo instrument, a warm vibrato of the solo cello, [colors of the] English horn, french horns and tubas, the sweet depth of the bass clarinet, mysterious or stormy timpani, rhythmical [motifs] of the trumpets without saturating the sounds and sonorous bass trumpet for recurring leitmotifs or the linked ones. But, even though the orchestra is in the spotlight of this very majestic and romantic music, the concern for the accompaniment of the singers is ubiquitous in the support of the phrasing, the breathing and the nuances. (...) Detached from the orchestra, the ensemble of well-projected voices [the Valkyries] remains homogenous and also rhythmically synchronous. A beautiful moment that animates this work without chorus. Although this version deprives us few bars of the ride [of the Valkyrie], the emotion given by the harmonic complexity of the music of Richard Wagner is present, each chord is filled with fullness. Perfect ensemble between the singers and the conductor who do not see each other but do not allow any imprecision. A superb achievement which again points out that there is no need for a wacky staging to reach heights of emotion. A huge bravo! Nicola's Jocelyn (GB Opera)

****
 
F. Schubert: Symphony No. 4
Symphony Orchestra Vorarlberg / November 2017
 
With his classic and elegant calm "Old School" of conducting, he [Adrian Prabava] refers to his prominent mentors Kurt Masur and Bernard Haitink. He settled Schubert near Beethoven, striking the beauty of the strings in the intimate second movement. Prabava shows temperament, yet radiates great calmness and achieves maximum precision and expression in the orchestra with much less physical effort than others. (Vorarlberger Nachrichten, Fritz Jurmann - 27.11.2017)
 
Special attention was paid to Adrian Prabava at the stand. He conducted Schubert's 4th Symphony by heart and convinced above all with his small but very expressive and concise gestures. This created well-balanced, self-confident strings and gave the numerous solos of the woodwinds room to unfold. We look forward to the next encounter with this conductor.  (Kultur - Zeitschrift für Kultur und Gesellschaft, Silvia Thurner - 26.11.2017)
 
****
 
R. Schumann: Symphony No. 2
National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan / May 2016
 

Could it, should it, be the job of every conductor and every orchestra with every concert to convince their audience that the piece being performed is the greatest symphony or concerto or whatever ever written? I’d say perhaps so. And tonight, (Adrian Prabava), a conductor I’d never heard of convinced me, somewhat despite my reservations, that Schumann’s second symphony is, indeed, one of the greatest symphonies in the repertoire. (Fugue for thought – 27.05.2016)

****

L. v. Beethoven: Symphony No. 7
London Philharmonic Orchestra / January 2016

Beethoven’s majestic symphony no. 7 was thrilling, played at a breakneck pace with almost no breaks between movements. Conductor Adrian Prabava drew a vigorous performance out of the second violins in the first movement, reminiscent of the peerless Herbert von Karajan recordings. The symphony flew by breathlessly, and the sight of out-of-breath Prabava epitomised his interpretation of the power of the piece and his full-bodied, passionate commitment. (The Latest Brighton – 19.01.2016)

(German) Indonesian conductor  Adrian Prabava was making his debut with the LPO at Brighton last night and very impressive it turned out to be. He led the whole evening from memory and showed a warm relationship with his players which allowed them some freedom while maintaining an overall control and tight sense of rhythm. This was particularly true of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony whose dance rhythms were tight and joyous throughout. Though tempi, particularly in the final movement, were brisk, there was never any sense of rushing the players whose articulation was well up to the demands he made. The Allegretto was sombre without being too serious and set the scene for the extrovert enthusiasm of the Presto. Changes of tempi and dynamic were all carefully controlled without bring too rigid. (Lark Reviews – 17.01.2016)

****

A. Dvořák: Rusalka
Musiktheater Bern / November 2015

It was exactly those gentle, soft and dark tones which gained special emphasis in the new Bernese production thanks to the young Indonesian conductor Adrian Prabava, former assistant of Bernard Haitink in Amsterdam, who sought and found numerous colors and nuances in Dvořák's score. Yet, "Rusalka"  rarely sounded so impressionistic. It happens not very often that one can hear the forest shades and night moods so suggestively enchantedly. On top of that, this interesting young conductor disposes of a very solid craft. Hardly ever he had to iron out any delicate situations,  and he accompanied the singers with guarded accuracy while bringing out from the Bernese orchestra a beautifully blended sound. (Musik und Theater – November 2015)

Lead by a precise, an intelligently responsive and a beautiful sounding homogeneous orchestra, the Bernese "Rusalka" under the baton of Adrian Prabava proves from number to number, from scene to scene  and act to act as a production of remarkable coherence and quality. (Die Stimme der Kritik – November 2015)

Dvorak’s abundant score, with its symphonic and leitmotovical shape was brought to shine from the first moment onwards. The piece, which combines highly romantic approaches with almost impressionistic tone painting is in good hands with [Indonesian] conductor Adrian [Prabava]. Highly alert he explores dynamic ranges, while beautifully letting the strings breathe and the woodwinds expand. Some exquisite solo performances from the ditch (again and again it is the harp!) fit perfectly in the big picture. Adequate tempi and a slavic ductus leave nothing to be desired. (Der Bund – 24.11.2015)

****

J. Sibelius: Symphony No. 1
Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec / November 2015

Finally, the success of the evening is also largely indebted to guest conductor maestro Adrian Prabava. This young conductor has been a revelation for this concert. He has got a stranglehold as well as rigour and great accuracy. The orchestra gave him total musical response. (Info Culture – 05.11.2015)

The QSO played under the baton of Adrian Prabava. It was placed in good hands. During Sibelius’s Symphony No. 1 which the guest conductor lead by heart, one could feel that he knew exactly what he wanted and, most importantly, how to get it. One could also feel Adrian Prabava’s love for this work and how much he wanted to make appreciate its qualities . Inspired by this determined direction, the orchestra played with generosity and insurance. (Le Soleil – 04.11.2015)

****

D. Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5
Athens State Orchestra  / November 2014

The impressions left by the second concert of the cycle 'Slavic Soul' were really exceptional ... The second half of the evening was devoted to 'Symphony No. 5' by Dmitri Shostakovich. Prabava conducted the justifiably popular, often-heard work with great care, putting in relief, with freshness and wondrous economy of expressive means,  every aspect  of the epic dramaturgy. Using as a tool the predesigned tense playing of string instruments and the virtuoso contributions of the fine woodwind of the ASO, he dynamically pointed to heroic machismo of the extensive narrative paragraphs and the march-like exaltations of the opening  Moderato and formed evocatively the mournful, elegiac Largo, leading it in a prolonged climax of shocking volume. (EFSYN – 04.11.2014)

****

G. Mahler: Symphony No. 5
Orchestre Philharmonique de Marseille  / January 2014

Adrian Prabava is an extraordinary conductor who uses the composer’s handwriting in order to make heard every instrument and to emphasize each instrumentalist; he plays the musical colours and contrasts of shades by stressing and confirming them repeatedly.... More than simple conducting he gives an interpretation which never stays superficial, but comes out of the depths of human being and confers spectacular splendour and brilliance to the sounds... A storm of applause hailed the conductor who had given an extraordinary interpretation of this symphony [Mahler 5th] executed by an electrified orchestra. Bravo! (www.gbopera.it – January 2014)