“Slatkin’s predecessor in Detroit, Neeme Järvi, who stepped down in 2005, left the orchestra in battle-ready condition. After 15 years of Järvi’s electric spontaneity, the DSO plays with the virtuoso flexibility of an Olympic gymnast. But Järvi’s laissez-faire approach could also lead to imprecision, and his interpretive compass could go astray when intuition let him down. Even with limited rehearsal, Slatkin brought a meticulousness, shape and structure to Beethoven’s Seventh that suggests the ability to help the DSO ascend to a higher plane of expression.”