55)   This type of presentation of “Falstaff” conducted by Vakhtang Matchavariani happens to be the genuine crown of this orchestra’s fall cycle. The opera lovers gained a lot having enjoyed this magnificent opera presented by its wonderful performers.
TBILISI. DECEMBER 12, 2002. NATYA DEKANOSIDZE.

56)   This is a historic day in our musical life. Our public has never seen “Falstaff” on our theater’s stage. Vakhtang Matchavariani has undoubtedly coped with a very complicated task.
MTAVARI GAZETI. NOVEMBER 11, 2002. GULBAAT TORADZE.

57)   In an amazingly short time, with only five rehearsals, this international group of musicians managed to perfectly perform Verdi’s magnificent opera, having the vocal parts and the opera characters interact as one musical image. The orchestra conducted by Vakhtang Matchavariani performed “Faslstaff” at a single breath, and with such a confidence and involvement that the public was found in complete exaltation at what they were listening to.
AKHALI EPOKA. NOVEMBER 29, 2002. TINA GVINERIA

58)   The Amsterdam Concert Hall called Concertgebouw is one of the best in the whole world. In the end of the concert, the standing public kept applauding for quite a long time to the orchestra and its conductor Vakhtang Matchavariani. In a word, the audience staged such an ovation that the orchestra was compelled to give an encore. Vakhtang Matchavariani offered to the listener a piece from composer A. Matchavariani’s ballet “Otello”. At the second concert, the Georgian musicians enjoyed the same kind of a standing ovation of the public. There was an encore again. Both the conductor and the orchestra deserved such a reaction of the audience. Their performances at Concertgebouw were beyond any expectations of mine. Playing music in this Hall has always been a matter of great pride for any musician.
SAKARTVELOS RESPUBLIKA. AUGUST 17, 2002. ZURAB OIKASHVILI

59)   What is most important, the conductor, the soloists and the orchestra managed with a joint effort to create and keep going an increasingly intense charge. Each and every one of them maintained the wholesome harmony, a completely coordinated partnership and a special aspiration to perform. Vakhtang Matchavariani as a conductor let the “Tristan" Harmony sound so well that he came very close to the grandness of Wagner’s music.
24 HOURS. JUNE 16, 2003. MADI SEREBRYAKOVA

60)   E. Mikeladze Georgian State Symphony Orchestra and Vakhtang Matchavariani gave a genuinely royal gift to the lovers of music. First time ever in Georgia, Wagner’s great opera “Tristan & Isolde” sounded in a concert performance. Moreover, it was performed with the participation of the world famous singers. This was all on the brink of a magic spell. Let us give credit to Vakhtang Matchavariani for this. It is a very serious event to see how the most complicated music scores are presented on such a high level. It was a real hymnal to love performed by masterful singers, the orchestra and of-course Vakhtang Matchavariani himself. My special thanks go to all of them for this unforgettable concert. I am also hopeful that Vakhtang Matchavariani never leaves this orchestra for another place to work. It is our obligation and it s the job of the our Ministry of culture to create normal working conditions for this country’s number one State Symphony Orchestra and its gifted and energetic conductor Vakhtang Matchavariani.
VECHERNI TBILISI. JUNE 21-22, 2003. GULBAAT TORADZE

61)   The interpretation of Verdi’s “Otello” is demanding from the conductor a necessity of a particularly subtle consideration of the score, which is based on a continuous development of the opera drama and the principle of its “symphonizing”. In this particular case, the stress is moved onto the conductor. Vakhtang Matchavariani opened and presented the musical resources of the opera in its organic integrity. The conductor led us right into the collisions of the Shakespearian tragedy and he let us partake in the lofty spirituality of Verdi’s music. Vakhtang Matchavariani “sculpted” the dramatic art of Verdi’s opera using impressive musical proportions. The orchestral texture was individual as well as naturally unified with the opera parts.
AUGUST 14-20, 1998. TENGIZ SHAVLOKHASHVILI

62)   The genuine examination of the orchestra for artistic maturity and qualification was the performance of Walton’s monumental Symphony Number One. All credits and kudos go the orchestra under Vakhtang Matchavariani, who successfully coped with the most complicated artistic task.
SVOBODNAYA GRUZIA.

63)   E. Mikeladze Georgia State Symphony Orchestra celebrated its 75th anniversary with great enthusiasm. In the concert dedicated to the event, participated a wonderful choir from Bon, Germany and the soloists from various parts of the world. The program of the concert offered Requiem by Brahms (first-time performance in Tbilisi), Beethoven’s grandiose Ninth Symphony and contemporary Georgian music. Vakhtang Matchavariani was at the conductor’s stand. With his name is associated the survival of the orchestra, the revelation of its artistic and creative potential, and even more, the enrichment of Georgia’s musical life.
AKHALI EPOKA. NOVEMBER 27, 2001. BIDZINA BAKURADZE

64)   In my opinion, “Falstaff’s” production is the highest achievement in conductor V. Matchavariani’s career. Main variables of his success were an impeccable ensemble of the orchestral and the vocal performances, and of-course an amazingly gentle, exclusively balanced, sweet-tempered and expressive sound of the orchestra.
VECHERNI TBILISI. November 19-20. GULBAAT TORADZE

65)   After listening the recording of Vakhtang Matchavariani's symphony Nr.1 "Harmonia Mundi" I was very impressed. It is a Georgian stile Great symphony, similar to Alexi Matchavariani's symphonism. Finale was a big surprise, such as the second symphony of G. Mahler, with a heavy sound, very impressing. The 4 movement symphony is a fusion of Georgian and late German Romantic music and is a great symphony written by a hero and genius.
THE MESSENGER. MAY 9, 2014. KAZUHIKO KASHIMA.

66)   Vakhtang Machavariani's new symphony premiered.
......The symphony Nr.1 represented the conductor in a new role - now as a composer.
......The piece was powerful, overwhelming the audience with emotions. It gave the sense of a new harmony of music very alarming and feeble, but sometimes soft and mysterious. There was a nervous beat, like the marching in of the modern times, which introduced certain disharmony that troubles mankind.
THE MESSENGER. MAY 2, 2014. KAZUHIKO KASHIMA.

67)   Matchavariani the man with the answers.
   Georgian music lovers commemorated the 95th birthday of famous Georgian composer Alexi Matchavariani at a concert held at Tbilisi musical centre on November 14. The Georgia National Symphony Orchestra was conducted by Vakhtang Matchavariani, his son, a conductor widely experienced and respected in Europe.

The concert began with Matchavariani's Third Symphonic Suit from the ballet Othello. This was first performed in 1957 at the Tbilisi State Opera, and swiftly achieved international recognition, being staged in many cities worldwide. On the basis of the music alone, you can see why. Matchavariani's music turns this on its head, by combining this with a warm lyricism and deep devotion to music itself which puts this intellectualism into context. Yes, that part of life exists, but we all have a fundamental humanity, expressed through soaring violin lines, superb orchestration and organic harmony and counterpoint.

People did seem to be a bit taller after hearing this music, and seeing how Vakhtang Matchavariani instilled the sense of the importance of this work, that it had a universality beyond 'interpretation'.

The second half of the concert was the premiere of symphonic suite The Taming of the Shrew. This was a thoroughly enjoyable romp, Shakespeare's Shrew reappearing in a motif when least expected, emotion suddenly leavened by playfulness, argument dissolving into the drama that had created it. This is was what Shakespeare would have composed himself, as Matchavariani clearly had the same connection with truth that Shakespeare had, and knew exactly what to do about it.

The audience was deeply appreciative of both music and performance, as any audience would have been. Matchavariani thoroughly deserves a more prominent place in the classical canon.
By Rumwold Leigh. "Messenger". 17.11.2008.

68)   HATS OFF GENTLEMEN.
   On 30 October internationally famous Georgian conductor Vakhtang Machavariani gave a concert of the work of Mussorgsky,Prokofiev and his father Aleksi Machavariani at Tbilisi Music Centre.

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It was a risk devoting the second half of the programme to Aleksi Machavariani's music for the ballet "The Taming of the Shrew",particulary as it was the world premiere of this piece. It is a substantial work,certainly not incidental music,and in a way it was unfortunate that this was the premiere,as it will repay considerable future study.

It grabs the audience from the first however,and in an unusual way.The first bars declare "Watch out,watch out,there's a shrew about",and you never know how seriously to take what is being said throughout. It is very difficult to maintain such a tone for any length of time without being misunderstood,but this music and this performance pulled this off,in an excellent rendering of the light comedy of Shakespeare's play.Within a short while you know that this is going to be the highlight of the show.The orchestration is flawless and very satisfying for the performers,who each have a considerable part and plenty to say, the music darting around from one section to another like a gymnast flinging himself about on the rings.The deeply suggestive tempo,the musical equivalent of rapidly raising eyebrows,is maintained even in the more solemn parts,when the consequences of all the jollity are reflected on,but nothing gets in the way of the fundamental triumph of fun when the shrew is tamed,but into a wiser shrew,at the end.

Like all bloodthirsty reviewers you wait for the misplaced effect,mistiming,failure of expres- sion,wrong choice or misplaced note in this piece.In this music,and this performance of it, this reviewer waited in vain.The piece is brilliant,like the way it was played,but it has far greater substance than a work which has brilliance alone.When you write reviews people tell you not to be too positive or negative because people will think it is a put up job.If this newspaper wants to sack me for telling the truth,let it. If Russia wants to start another war and Georgia can choose its weapon,it should choose the music of Aleksi Machavariani.
By Rumwold Leigh. "Messenger". 03.11.2009.