critics
"Faust" by Gounodov to be remembered
Miljenko Grgić, Vjesnik, 20th February 2008
A new spectacle in Split Opera House. Performance to be remembered loudly acclaimed during the whole duration. The end needs no description. “Faust” by Charles Gounod charmed the sensitive Split audience completely. It would be good to play it outside Split since it is an admirable project. Conductor Ivan Repušić as an expert analyzed the score to opera effects and musical tricks. What distinguished his conducting was a strict respect of musical sub-text and persistence to impose it to soloists and ensembles.
Terrific performance by famous and young maestro to a packed auditorium of Lisinski
Branimir Pofuk, Jutarnji list, 24th November 2007.
It was a program move of the season for the Zagreb Philharmonic to engage Ivo Pogorelić to one of their subscribers’ concerts. And it is even more remarkable the decision to unite the famous piano player with Ivan Repušić, a young, passionate and musically talented conductor with his heart and mind open for new experiences, not obsessed with vanity and prejudices that might have led someone else be taken by the genius. (…) Everything that cannot be described within the Rachmaninoff work was invented by Pogorelić, but the performance was also by the philharmonic musicians who were highly concentrated and sensibly précised. And that was due to Repušić, a congenial media for communication between the orchestra and the genius playing the piano. It was another triumph for Ivo, but for Ivan as well!
When the unpredictable becomes predictable
Concert by the piano player Ivo Pogorelić and Zagreb Philharmonics in Lisinski Bosiljka Perić Kempf, Novi list, 25th November 2007.
A healthy dose of good energy was due to the performance of Shostakovich’s First Symphony. It was once again proved that a capable conductor and that special atmosphere you get only with the packed audience, affect the performers positively. It must be said that the Zagreb Philharmonic has reached a quality of playing music much above their usual average. Repušić’s conducting was expressive, however, never imposing, with a note of confidence which he transmitted to the orchestra and that pure musicality which enriched the rational component of his music approach. Repušić offered the Zagreb Philharmonic a chance to function as vivid, engaged performance body. The Zagreb Philharmonic under the Repušić’s conducting of Shostakovich’s First Symphony showed its best side. The sound picture of the whole, as well as of certain parts, was amazingly differentiated and transparent, and instrumental solo parts, which there are many in this Symphony, were performed by high quality. Repušić has marked Shostakovich’s First symphony by sovereignty of strong and inspiring conductor imagination never lacking amazing maturity for such a young artist. He realized such an impressive interpretation that the Zagreb audience reacted by spontaneous and loud approval.
One step to a dream-team
Premiere of Puccini’s opera La Boheme in Croatian National Theater Split
Maja Stanetti, Večernji list, 24th February 2007.
By completing the ensemble of young and today recognized singers the conductor Ivan Repušić has come one step closer to a dream-team. Ethereal orchestra, sound choir (Ana Šabašov) and charming children choir (Nela Bujas-Luketić) made a perfect unity with excellent singers of rare musicality, great potentials and complexity of creations.
Closeness of the sea, ecstasy of enthusiasm
Premiere of Simon Boccanegra in Croatian National Theater Split
Ivana Tomić Ferić, Vijenac, 7th December 2006.
We have already positively spoken about maestro Repušić’s refined musicality, energy and sense of music. However, this time he has additionally strengthen his role of guardian in charge of success of the whole ensemble. Due to the previous conductor being prevented, he prepared the orchestra in only few days, proving to be definitely the most ambitious and the most promising spirit of the Split Opera.