...it was a very creditable performance under the baton of Pierre Vallet, who led crisply and cleanly...

Sunday's guest conductor, Pierre Vallet, owns an impressive résumé from the operatic world, including work with the Met. Appropriately enough, he led off the program with the ebullient and thoroughly enjoyable "Polonaise" from Eugene Onegin, which the orchestra bounced merrily through.

"The Met needs good conductors right now, and on the strength of this performance, it's got a new one to call upon..."

Led by guest conductor Pierre Vallet, the ensemble opened with Englebert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel Overture: lush, dreamy beauty shifting to brighter and more energetic, with pinpoint French horn flourishes and a bouncy precision.

Although Seiji Ozawa failed to come this time, Pierre Vallet who held the baton that night still contributed to the unique charm of the opera. One Japanese music critic once said that Ozawa's Bartok is the best in the world, and Mr. Vallet inherited its heritage after 15years being with Seiji Ozawa. He fully expressed the mysterious, gloomy atmosphere of the opera with unique music, which was a perfect combination of the performance with the two singers.

"Fortunately, the beauty of some of the brilliant melodic passages and its interpretation by the acclaimed performers, as well as the chorus and orchestra of the theater conducted by Pierre Vallet, delighted the audience."

"...a brilliant performance by a superb cast headed by the Polish tenor Piotr Beczala, the Bulgarian soprano Krassimira Stoyanova, the Uruguayan baritone Erwin Schrott, splendidly supported by the French baritone Ludovic Tézier the French mezzo-soprano Karine Deshayes, and the orchestra and chorus from the Liceu led by Pierre Vallet."

"This is the first time that I will have him as conductor, said Stoyanova. So far I have worked with him as a pianist and I must say that he is exceptional..."

"...Vallet kept a well-nigh perfect tempo going. Fast enough to capture the music's effervescent essence and keep its headlong drive going, without pushing the limits of his players."

"His performance was a rendition of the most precise nature, blending a care for details into an effective dramatic arch, one congratulates this conductor who approaches music as a wise man...always respecting the balance between the stage and the pit."