BSO — 2022/04/30

 We come now to the final concert of the BSO's 2021-22 season. WCRB tells us:

Saturday, April 30, and Monday, May 9, 2022
8:00 PM

Closing out the 2021-2022 Boston Symphony Orchestra season, BSO Principal Cellist Blaise Déjardin is center-stage in Saint-Saëns's Cello Concerto No. 1, and Andris Nelsons conducts Richard Strauss's panoramic "An Alpine Symphony" and a selection from the composer's "Intermezzo," tonight at 8pm.

Andris Nelsons, conductor
Blaise Déjardin, cello

Richard STRAUSS "Dreaming by the Fireside" from Four Symphonic Interludes from Intermezzo
Camille SAINT-SAËNS Cello Concerto No. 1
STRAUSS An Alpine Symphony

To hear Blaise Déjardin preview the Cello Concerto No. 1 by Saint-Saëns, talk about his new book, Audition Day, and how golf and learning magic helped his cello playing, click on the player above, and read the transcript below.

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall with Blaise Déjardin, the Principal Cellist of the Boston Symphony. But Blaise, you're here in the guest soloist green room with a very different role this week: soloist for the Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1. Thanks for a little bit of your time today.

If you go to WCRB's page you can read or listen to the interview.

The BSO's own performance detail page tells us more about the music:

The BSO’s own principal cello Blaise Déjardin makes his solo concerto debut with the orchestra in these concerts performing the astonishingly gifted French composer Camille Saint-Saëns’ 1873 Cello Concerto No. 1. In one movement, this compact concerto moves from exhilarating energy to great charm and finally to impassioned, virtuosic lyricism.
The orchestral interludes from his 1924 opera Intermezzo are self-contained miniature tone poems of great dramatic effectiveness. The gorgeous “Dreaming by the Fireside” depicts a woman’s yearning for her husband, who is a musician on tour—part of the autobiographical plot of the opera. Strauss’s absolute mastery of the orchestra is put to very different use in the tone poem An Alpine Symphony, which musically illustrates nature in all its glory via the climb and descent of a mountain in the Alps.

There are also brief blurbs about each piece and a number of links, including one for the program notes which appear in the booklet given to audience members.

The Globe reviewer liked the first Strauss piece and the Saint-Saëns cello concerto, but found the Alpine Symphony too long and mostly unengaging, but found no fault with how it was performed. So far, there is no review in the Intelligencer.

I wasn't there on Thursday, so I can't say how they did. What I can say is I'm not surprised by the review in the Globe. I'd expect the first half to be pleasant. I've heard the Alpine Symphony a few times and I'd say it has its moments, and it's never hard to listen to.

Overall, I think it's worth tuning in or connecting.

I haven"t looked to see what WCRB will give us between now and the opening of the BSO season at Tanglewood, but I won't be surprised if it's mostly repeats of recent concerts. The BSO begins at Tanglewood on July 8, and will give concerts on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as in pre-Covid years. So keep tuned.

BSO — 2022/04/23

 Tonight's concert has nothing too tough to take. Richard Strauss isn't as light-hearted as Johann (no relation), but he's not jarring on the ears. Here's WCRB's synopsis:

Saturday, April 23, and May 2, 2022
8:00 PM

Tonight at 8pm, Andris Nelsons leads the Boston Symphony Orchestra in three works by German composer Richard Strauss, culminating with the nostalgically rich "Symphonia domestica."

Andris Nelsons, conductor

ALL-STRAUSS PROGRAM

Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks
Symphonic Fantasy on Die Frau ohne Schatten
Symphonia domestica

For more information, you can consult the BSO performance detail page:

The second of the all-Strauss programs includes the symphonic poem Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, his Symphonia domestica, and his own Symphonic Fantasy on Die Frau ohne Schatten(“Woman Without a Shadow”), a 1946 distillation of his fabulist 1919 opera.

There are short blurbs about each piece on the page as well as links to the program notes.

The review in the Globe has no fault to find with the performance but is lukewarm in tone. The reviewer has serious questions about the choice of works, one having been performed last fall, and another shortly before the pandemic shutdown. The Intelligencer finds everything okay, with nothing to rave about.

I was there on Thursday. Although I had been looking forward to the "Four Last Songs," The Symphonic Fantasy was good. I had thought of the opera as forbidding because of its subkect matter. Maybe I heard it once on the radio. Anyway, I wasn't interested. But the Symphonic Fantasy was surprisingly pleasant. Of course, the opening piece was merry and enjoyable. But I found the Symphonia Domestica too long. There is nothing unpleasant about it. I just didn't find anything especially exciting or captivating about it, and it kept going too long. Maybe it can work better as background music for whatever you're doing, or maybe you'll be better attuned to the supposedly changing scenes.

Certainly, there is no need to avoid this concert, so why not listen and see what you think.

BSO — 2022/04/16

This is one I'd certainly want to hear if I weren't going to be in church for our Easter Vigil. Bell plays Beethoven. Who could ask for anything more. You can bet I'll be listening to the repeat on the 25th. WCRB gives us the basics as well as an interview with the conductor on their page:

Saturday, April 16, and Monday, April 25, 2022
8:00 PM

Tonight at 8pm, the American violinist returns to the Boston Symphony as the soloist in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, and Alan Gilbert conducts the world premiere of a work by Bernard Rands and Debussy’s "La Mer."

Alan Gilbert, conductor
Joshua Bell, violin

Bernard RANDS Symphonic Fantasy (world premiere; BSO co-commission)
Claude DEBUSSY La Mer
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto

To hear a preview of the concert with conductor Alan Gilbert, use the player above, or read the transcript below.

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall with Alan Gilbert, who is back here in Boston to lead the BSO in a program, a fascinating program of three very different pieces. But I don't know, maybe not as different as I'm thinking. Alan, thanks for a little bit of your time today.

The BSO goes a bit more in depth about each piece, with a link to the program notes on their program detail page. The program note includes a sort of description by Bernard Rands of his piece. I don't know what to expect after reading all about it, but I'm hoping it will be okay. IMO the Debussy is okay, but lots ogf people think it's great. And the Beethoven is one of the greatest of all time, IMO, and having Joshua Bell solo makes it not-to-be-missed.

The review in the Intelligencer is quite favorable and give reason to hope that the Rands piece will be okay. The Globe reviewer was noncommittal about the Rands and was very happy with the rest.

So it looks like good listening this evening and on April 25. (And if you don't like the Rands, it's only 20 minutes until the good stuff.) Enjoy.

BSO — 2022/04/02

 This evening the BSO is back live, performing the "War Requiem" by Benjamin Britten. Here's how WCRB describes it:

Saturday, April 2, and Monday, April 11, 2022
8:00 PM

Tonight at 8, Antonio Pappano conducts the BSO in Britten’s mighty "War Requiem," with a cast of singers, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and the Boston Symphony Children’s Choir.

Sir Antonio Pappano, conductor

Amanda Majeski, soprano
Ian Bostridge, tenor
Matthias Goerne, baritone
Tanglewood Festival Chorus and Boston Symphony Children’s Choir
James Burton, conductor

Benjamin BRITTEN War Requiem

To hear a preview of War Requiem with Antonio Pappano, use the player above.

TRANSCRIPT:

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall with Antonio Pappano, and Mr. Pappano, it is so good to have you here. It's been a little while since you've been to the Boston Symphony, though more recently with your orchestra, Santa Cecilia, just about five years ago here at the hall. It's good to have you back.

Antonio Pappano Thank you very much. I'm thrilled to be back.

Brian McCreath Well, this piece, the War Requiem by Britten, you know, I'm curious about the circumstances and the thoughts behind it as you originally programmed it

As you see, there is an interview with the conductor, with a link to the audio recording of it as well as a transcript if you go to their page.

The BSO's performance page has a link to the program notes, which contain the full text of the piece, which you may want to have available when you listen. There is also a fairly detailed analysis. You can also follow links to performer bios.

I didn't attend the Thursday performance because I felt as if I had a cold coming on, and rain was in the forecast. So I missed the performance of the Ukraqinian national anthem as well as the chance to hear the Requiem live so I can't give you my  own impressions and observations.

The Globe's review is quite favorable. Vance Koven, the musicologist, gives a good analysis of the piece and then praises the performance in the Intelligencer.

Needless to say, I suggest giving this a listen over WCRB this evening and/or April 11, at 8:00 EDT on WCRB.