BSO — 2015/01/08-10

Aaannd they're back! The Boston Symphony has (have, for the Brits) returned to Symphony Hall to resume the subscription season. They are giving us a program of Brahms, Haydn, and Strauss. Although it is part of my subscription, I had to stay home and work on a project for church, so I'll be hearing it for the first time during this evening's broadcasts. So I can't offer my personal impressions, but there are other reviews. The Boston Musical Intelligencer offers a full report on the performances, finding no cause for complaint. Space limitations keep the Globe review shorter, but it was definitely admiring. It seems it will be worth hearing.

On their performance detail page, the BSO gives the following synopsis:

Andris Nelsons' two January programs focus on classics of the orchestral repertoire. In this first program of 2015 he is joined by French cellist Gautier Capuçon and BSO principal violist Steven Ansell for Strauss's rollicking, wide-ranging tone poem Don Quixote, which depicts musically several episodes from Cervantes's novel. Brahms's Variations on a Theme by Haydn, whose theme is the famous "Chorale St. Anthony" (likely not by Haydn after all), was originally composed for two pianos but is, in its orchestral guise, a major symphonic feat. Haydn himself is also featured in this program. Following the great success of the six so-called "Paris" symphonies, the composer wrote three more for his admirers in that city, nos. 90-92, in 1788-89. [Symphony] No. 90-a favorite of Maestro Nelsons'-includes a famous "false" ending in the first movement, one of Haydn's wittiest musical jokes.

(Some emphasis added.)
As always, the page also has links to program notes, audio previews, and performer bios (click on the photos).

WCRB will broadcast and stream the concert virtually live beginning at 8:00 p.m. on January 10, and will offer a rerun on January 19. See their BSO page for more about the program and upcoming concerts. (Following their usual practice, on January 12, the station will retransmit the program from a week ago.)