“Technically demanding, acidic, and dense, the score requires a wide dynamic range, and a capacity to go from zero to 60 to zero at whim. The orchestra navigated its way through this thorny and complex piece with authority and confidence, the percussion enforcing a brutal order on the chaos, the second movement’s no-look ending handled deftly. Wachs guided the ensemble with energy, precision, and a welcome sense of clarity and poise. He doesn’t dance. It’s all business: big, broad and direct. You can forgive him for getting swept away on occasion because he brings the orchestra with him.”