Soyer, grunting softly as he played, brought to bear a nobly restrained tone and rhythmically incisive phrasing.
In the Beethoven the iconoclastic violinist Thomas Zehetmair enlivened the solo line with an approach that acknowledged the expansive lyricism of Beethoven's soaring themes but also used gritty, textured attacks and incisive phrasing to amplify the music's earthier qualities.
But the most substantial piece of this enjoyably idiomatic evening was Dvořák's deceptively imposing but essentially affable and liltingly rhapsodic violin concerto, which Arabella Steinbacher delivered with sweeping, if occasionally steely, charm and some irresistibly incisive phrasing, especially in the coruscating swirl of the finale.
Mr. Jarvi's incisive, unpredictable phrasing and bold contrasts made for an exciting performance, although with music making this risky, the few rough edges seemed almost inevitable.
It began with the performers' trading incisive, jagged phrases, but segued into a curiously long middle section in which the pianist struck loud, metallic single notes, one at a time as the violinist played soft floating nothings high above.
Levine habitually emphasized the Wagnerian-Mahlerian aspect; Koenigs muted some of the lushness, focussing on incisive rhythm and songful phrasing.
There is something fresh, startling, even modern about his approach, with its no-nonsense articulation of phrases and incisive rhythmic execution.
Mr. Luisotti was a graceful partner, mirroring the singers' phrasing and eliciting incisive, vibrantly etched playing from the orchestra.
Her phrasing was not as incisive as it might have been, but Ms. Part's is a body that begs to dance more Balanchine.
Mr. Morlot drew taut, rhythmically incisive playing from the young musicians, who shaped phrases with expressive care and played the turbulent work's soaring melodies with bristling excitement.
His voice rings out freely, and he sings with incisive diction and an instinctive understanding of Verdi's compressed, propulsive phrases.
