Press

“...“Beyond its wagnerian elements, the score contains a wealth of melody characteristic of German romanticism, As well as numerous tunes borrowed from its folk tradition. In the pit, under the baton of Yves Abel, the orchestra of the Opera de Paris completely presents that richness of colors, of textures, and of flavors. Yes, I speak about flavors, because, in this show we are in the domain of musical and theatrical gluttony! From this production, on which the wind of the Christmas spirit already blows, one leaves full of joy and energy, humming the beautiful memorized melodies.”

“Yves Abel masterfully conducts the Orchestre de l'Opera de Paris.
Hänsel und Gretel triumphs!”

“Yves Abel, finds the perfect balance between stage and orchestra. Considering the particular of the score, this is not always the case. From the start of the overture, one is taken by the sumptuous and beautiful mystery of the brasses and woodwinds under the Wagnerian blanket of strings. Which then leads to a series of German popular songs.
The orchestra generates an atmosphere of fairy tales, dark and heavy, without losing in vivacity and liveliness! The musicians show a magnificent complicity that translates itself into a performance full of nuances and surprises.”

“...with the amazing orchestra of the Opera de Paris, Yves Abel creates enchantments, nightmares, and tableaux vivants.”

“And overall, with a sumptuous orchestra...and the sensible and nuanced conducting of Yves Abel...’

“One has to say it very clearly and often. The presence, now frequent, of Yves Abel in the pit of the Campoamor Theater, is a luxury.
I think it is significant that his next opera engagements after Oviedo are the Paris Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. The work that Abel realizes with each new lyric appearance is intense and the results impeccable from start to finish.
The quality of the conducting is one of the basic pillars in acquiring the good results we witnessed recently. Contrasting dynamics, Verdian colors, dramatic accents always intense, lyricism in the intimate passages, the capacity to define each role through the accompaniment and a magnificent response and performance from the Oviedo Filarmonia, were the principal characteristics of Abel’s conducting which will remain in one’s memory and which reminds one of the importance of the conductor for each production.
He is, without doubt, the key.”

Yves Abel has been announced as the new chief conductor of the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, based in Herford (Germany). He will take over from Eugene Tzigane and Andris Nelsons starting from january 2015

"Yves Abel, conducting with silky finesse, restores a sense of french delicacy to Donizetti's frothy score"

"Yves Abel's idiomatic conducting is lively and assured"

"...nimbly conducted by Yves Abel"

"The ROH chorus and orchestra, under conductor Yves Abel, entered the spirit of the opera comique with gusto. Donizetti triumphed"

"Delius, Faurè, Strauss e Respighi diretta dalla bacchetta gioiosamente imperiosa di Yves Abel. Programma per certi versi leggero ma non troppo, grazie a una direzione che non indulgeva mai alla retorica più facile: “Summer night at the river” di Delius era un palpito, affidato prima ai fiati – sezione morbida come nelle migliori serate – poi con discrezione al corpo esteso degli archi: e un Abel misuratissimo seguiva il prezioso svolgersi di una partitura fatta principalmente di delicatezza; così come la delicatezza riservata, l’espressione accorata ma contenuta addomesticavano certi wagnerismi di “The walk to the Paradise Garden” dal “Romeo and Juliet” dello stesso Delius. Dove invece la retorica si sfogava allegramente era la “Boutique Fantasque” di Respighi..."

"...unter der Leitung des fabelhaften Gastdirigenten Yves Abel"

"Als Frankokanadier hat Yves Abel eine besondere Affinitaet zum franzoesischen repertoire... Abel begegnete den Werken der beiden so unterschiedlichen Impressionisten mit betonter Sachlichkeit. Er wählte geradezu flotte Tempi, vermied jede unnötige Tempoverschleppung , dirigierte mit sparsamen, kurzen, knappen, Bewegungen und verzichtete auf jegliche Art von Effekthascherei...Doch gerade durch dieses entschlackende Freilegen des absoluten musikalischen Kerns öffnete er die Sicht auf die unendliche Farbigkeit dieser Kompositionen....Herrlich das unendliche Fluten der motivischen Gebilde, der permanente Wechsel der Farben, ihr stetiges Ineinandergreifen und Auseinanderstreben. Das alles dargeboten von einem blendend aufgelegten Orchester, führte zu mitreißenden enden Klangerlebnissen."

"Leading the Bologna orchestra, Yves Abel provided the most authoritative conducting thus far on a well-paced performance. If his tempos tested the singers, they were well up to the challenge."

"Dal podio, Yves Abel dà un contributo decisivo alla brillantezza complessa dello spettacolo con una lettura di notevole profondità e sottigliezza, efficace nella ricerca dei colori (risponde bene l'orchestra del Comunale di Bologna), trascinante nello stacco dei tempi, nervosi ma non precipitosi, raffinata nella sottigliezza di un fraseggio mobile e franto, sempre «pensato».
Compagnia di canto quasi del tutto omogenea ad alto livello."

"La direzione tersa e divertita di Yves Abel"

“El canadiense Yves Abel dirigio estupendamente a la orquesta del teatro Comunal de Bolonia...”

"L'eccellente direttore canadese Yves Abel"

"In the pit, the Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna responded to Abel’s gestures with verve and sensitivity."

"Conducting, Yves Abel gives the score some French polish, ensuring smooth playing and sympathetic rapport with his singers."

"Yves Abel, making his ROH debut, guided the ROH orchestra with finesse"

"Yves Abel draws playing of sensitivity and verve from the orchestra."

"The transition from the prelude to the start of the party was beautifully conducted by Yves Abel, and Act 3 unfolded with impressively gathering weight."

"Abel kept the evening well-sprung and swift on its toes from the pit, and made some great moments with Gheorghiu: in the juddering, heart-pounding pulse that he set for the dazed finale of Act Two, and in the last act, where the thread of sound that came from her throat alongside the sweet, lonely heedlessness of the violin sounds, as thin and wavering as a candle flame, the gentle valedictory of “Addio del passato”, the gruff grunts of the horns under her dying song, “Se una pudica virgine”, made the tragedy as piercing as it could be. I’m afraid I was in floods."

"Abel's first act prelude and many other incisive touches revealed an instinctive Traviata conductor. "

"To his credit, Yves Abel, the conductor, sticks to [Gheoghiu] like glue, and there is much to admire about his general pacing."

"Yves Abel showed admirable refinement from the very first bars of the overture"