BSO/Classical New England — 2020/11/28

 Once more this week, WCRB rebroadcasts the concert performed five years ago today, described as follows on their webpage:

Saturday at 8pm, Yefim Bronfman is the soloist in Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 2, and Andris Nelsons leads teh Boston Symphony Orchestra in the Symphony No. 30, "Alleluia," by Haydn, and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 1, "Winter Daydreams."

Saturday, November 28, 2020
8:00 PM

Encore broadcast from November 28, 2015

Boston Symphony Orchestra
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano

HAYDN Symphony No. 30, "Alleluja"
BARTÓK Piano Concerto No. 2
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 1, "Winter Daydreams"

Back in 2015, I wrote about it as follows (edited to remove content no longer valid):

That's right, instead of running from Thursday through Saturday (or the occasional following Tuesday) this week's program is being given, as shown by the dates in the title, [2015/11/24-28 on the original post] from Tuesday through Saturday, because there is no concert on Thanksgiving Day. (Unlike certain retail giants, the BSO gives its people the day off.)

It's a concert I would have liked to attend in person and one I'm looking forward to hearing. I'll listen to the Haydn and Bartók live, and the Tchaikovsky during the rebroadcast December 7.The Bartók may be a bit challenging, but the rest should be pleasant. The BSO's performance detail page gives this description (reversing the order of the first two pieces):

Andris Nelsons and Yefim Bronfman collaborate with the BSO in Bartók's dazzling Piano Concerto No. 2, a formidably difficult work the composer wrote for himself to perform. Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 30, Alleluja, dating from 1765, takes its nickname from the Gregorian chant melody in its first movement. Another relative rarity is Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 1, Winter Daydreams. Begun in 1866 but not premiered until 1883, the symphony is the earliest major work by the composer, and is saturated with elements of Russian folk music style.

(Emphasis added.)

The Globe's review is favorable, as is that in the Boston Musical Intelligencer; although the latter is less than completely satisfied with the sound in the Haydn.

You can listen live on air or via the web on WCRB this evening (Nov. 28) at 8:00 p.m., Boston Time.

Since the BSO's performance detail page is no longer accessible, you can't get the sorts of material that is usually linked on it.

Unfortunately, I'll have to miss the Tchaikovsky, since it will be broadcast during my brother's phone call from Japan, It's a pleasant piece, and you'll probably like it.

So, this is one I definitely recommend for the Haydn and Tchaikovsky. I don't remember the Bartók concerto, so I express no opinion about it.