BSO/Classical New England — 2015/05/30

This weekend's BSO show on WCRB will be last week's "Film Night at the Pops." It was scheduled to be conducted by John Williams, but he had to withdraw because of a back problem, so the concerts were conducted by Richard Kaufman. The station's BSO page has a link to an interview with the conductor, as well as the following description (and other material and links):

Conductor Richard Kaufman and the Pops celebrate the incredible legacy of film scores by Pops Laureate Conductor John Williams.

(Emphasis added.)

It should be pleasant enough, with lots of familiar material. On Monday, June 1, they will rebroadcast the "By Popular Demand" concert which they broadcast last Saturday. Both broadcasts, also streamed on the web, will be at 8:00 p.m. Boston Time.

BSO/Classical New England — 2015/05/23

This week's broadcast/webstream is a recording of a "By Popular Demand!" concert. I'm guessing it was performed on June 7. WCRB describes it thusly on their BSO page:

By Popular Demand!

The audience votes, and the Pops plays! Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops play the audience's choices in the first WCRB Pops broadcast of the season.

It sounds interesting. If you miss it on the 23rd, you have another chance on June 1. Both programs are at 8:00 p.m., Boston Time.

As always, there are links on the station's BSO page to other good things, such as future broadcasts, past concerts available on demand, and interviews.

On Monday the 25th, they will repeat the show from the 16th.

BSO/Classical New England — 2015/05/16

This week it's not a live concert that WCRB will present, but recent recordings of the orchestra under the baton of Andris Nelsons. Here's how they describe it on their BSO page:

Saturday, May 16, and Monday, May 25

Hear the most recent Boston Symphony recordings, including Wagner's Overture to Tannhäuser and the Symphony No. 2 by Sibelius, conducted by BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons, as well as Britten's Violin Concerto with soloist Gil Shaham.

(Some emphasis added.)

The Wagner was on the program for last September 27, and the Sibelius, November 8. Gil Shaham performed the Britten concerto with the BSO (but a different conductor) in the concert of November 3, 2012. So you can find a bit about the performances if you go to my posts for those dates.

The page I've linked above also has information about future BSO broadcasts/streams. As always, the broadcasts and webstreams begin at 8:00 p.m. Boston Time.

The Overture to Tannhäuser is Wagner in good form, IMO. (I like to say that if he had stuck to music for orchestra, and not tried to write for singing, Wagner could have won the enduring fame of John Philip Sousa. It's facetiously put, but I do think he writes much better for orchestra than for singers.) I'm also very much looking forward to the Sibelius. My first impressions of the composer were colored by the saying attributed to my grandmother: "A little Sibelius goes a long way." But as I began to listen to his music, I soon decided that it's really quite good.

As for the Britten, I seem to recall something a bit less lyrical than the other two. If they play it during my brother's weekly call from Japan, I won't be heartbroken, but otherwise I'll keep the radio on.

Notice that on Monday the 18th, they'll give us the Mozart final three symphonies, conducted by von Dohnányi, from March 21.

Spring Orgy® Period 2015 — Update 05/14

WHRB has added a Gunther Schuller Orgy to its Orgy Period. It began at noon on May 14, and is scheduled to end at 10:00 p.m. on the 14th.

As of now, I see no further indication of classical music Orgies. You can go to their program guide for information about what pieces are to be played during the Schuller Orgy and other programming that will take place this month.

BSO/Classical New England — 2015/05/09

Last Saturday's BSO concert was their final broadcast until the Tanglewood season begins in July. The May 2 concert will be rebroadcast and streamed on Monday, May 11 at 8:00 p.m., Boston Time. This Saturday, instead of giving us a concert from a recent season — which they have often done during hiatuses — WCRB will present a program about past conductors. They describe it as follows on their BSO page:

Ron Della Chiesa tells the story of the BSO through the influence of the last five music directors, with performances led by Charles Munch, Erich Leinsdorf, William Steinberg, Seiji Ozawa, and James Levine.

This is a repeat of a show they presented last winter. I missed it at that time (It was not given in the Saturday evening time slot, as I recall.), but it sounds very interesting, and I'm definitely looking forward to hearing it. Munch was a great favorite in his day and Leinsdorf was very accomplished when he arrived. I was sorry to see him go.

Notice, at the bottom of WCRB's BSO page, the link to a program devoted just to Leinsdorf, in addition to all the other links available.

Spring Orgy® Period 2015

See the WHRB explanation of their Orgy® Periods, if you're not already familiar with them.

This spring's orgy period began, as usual, with the Warhorse Orgy.

Now we are in the BSO Commissions Orgy, which will continue until 10:00 p.m. on May 5.

The Renaissance Mass Orgy, runs on May 6 from noon until 10:00 p.m.

The Piotr Ilych Tchaikovsky Orgy® will run May 7-13. As usual, it will be a roughly chronological survey of all of his music.
     On May 7 & 8 it begins at 6:00 a.m. and presumably runs until 10:00 p.m.
     On May 9 (Saturday) it goes only from 6 to 10 p.m. (Regular programing, including "Hillbilly at Harvard" and the Metropolitan Opera, fills the daytime hours.)
     On May 10 (Sunday) it goes from 12:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
     The hours on May 11, 12, and 13 are 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The chronological survey will end with Symphony No. 6, beginning about 6:45 p.m. After that there will be historic performances of Tchaikovsky until 10:00.


The Program Guide gives no further scheduling information, but they say, "We''ll have more in a few days, so please continue to check back." When I notice more, I'll revise this post to include it, but you can also check the WHRB website yourself and maybe find updates before I do.

BSO — 2015/04/30-05/02

This week the Boston Symphony gives their season finale, with music of Schumann, Mozart, and Brahms under the baton of guest Conductor Emeritus Bernard Haitink. Maria João Pires is soloist in the Mozart. The orchestra's performance detail page has the customary links to program notes, audio previews, and performer bios (click on the thumbnail photos). It also supplies the following description of the program:

For the final concerts of the season, Bernard Haitink is joined by the eminent Portuguese pianist Maria João Pires-in her first BSO appearances since 1999-for Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23, from the series of great Vienna concertos the composer wrote at the height of his career there. The A major concerto, K.488, is one of the most chamber-musical and intimate of these works. Opening the program is Robert Schumann's dramatic Manfred Overture, composed in 1848 as part of incidental music for Byron's drama of the same name. Grappling with the shadow of Beethoven's symphonies, Brahms famously delayed completing and releasing his Symphony No. 1 to the world until after his fortieth birthday. It bears several deliberate touches of homage to Beethoven but is fully Brahmsian in its spirit and effect.

(Some emphasis added.)

From now until July, in addition to the usual Monday repeats of the concert of nine days ago, WCRB will be giving us a variety of programming, including performances by the BSO and the Boston Pops.

The Globe review is admiring toward Maestro Haitink, but less than thrilled with how the Mozart went, especially the first movement. The Boston Musical Intelligencer liked the whole thing — no problem with the Mozart — a very favorable review. The Thursday performance was part of my subscription, but I had a personal obligation that evening, so I couldn't attend, and thus have no personal observations to add. I'm looking forward to hearing the Schumann and Mozart this evening. (Brahms isn't my cup of tea, and my brother will be calling from Japan while it's being performed.)

Listen at 8:00 Boston Time on May 2 and/or 11 over WCRB radio or web. See their BSO page for additional information and a link to an interview with conductor and pianist. Before the  section of that page dealing with this week's concert, there is a preview of next year's Symphony Hall season. And further down there is information about what will fill the weeks between now and the Tanglewood season — some interesting stuff there.