The Asian Youth Orchestra's performance at the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall on Aug. 8 was lively and spirited but not quite up to the standards of the seven previous performances I've seen.
As in the past, the AYO -- which this year is made up of 104 musicians between the ages of 15 and 25 from throughout Asia under the conductorship of Richard Pontzious -- exhibited an abundance of energy, enthusiasm and excitement. However, these qualities seemed at times to dominate the performance at the expense of precision, subtlety and technique.
The evening opened with a vigorous rendition of Hector Berlioz's "Overture to Benvenuto Cellini," which was first performed at the Paris Opera in 1838. Following the lead of the guest conductor, the composer Bright Sheng, the AYO faithfully reflected the vibrancy of Berlioz's overture from the opening bars through the slow, melodic passages and on to the dramatic finale. However, the pizzicato by the cellos and basses fell short on precision and discipline, detracting from the overall coherence of the piece. Nonetheless, the energy and drive of the composition came through loud and clear.