BSO/Classical New England — 2023/09/30

 While we wait for the BSO to return to Symphony Hall, WCRB gives us another "encore broadcast," this time from last February:

Saturday, September 30th, 2023
8:00pm

In an encore broadcast, British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason makes his Boston Symphony debut with Ernest Bloch’s Schelomo, and Andris Nelsons conducts the world premiere of Carlos Simon’s Four Black American Dances and Beethoven’s poetic Symphony No. 7.

Andris Nelsons, conductor
Sheku Kanneh-Mason, cello

Carlos SIMON Four Black American Dances (world premiere)
Ernest BLOCH Schelomo: Rhapsodie hébraïque, for cello and orchestra
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7

This concert was originally broadcast on February 11th, 2023 and is no longer available on demand.

For information about Carlos Simon's Requiem for the Enslaved, visit Hub New Music.

For information about Sheku Kanneh-Mason's Song, visit Decca.

Listen to a preview of Bloch's Schelomo with Sheku Kanneh-Mason with the audio player above, and read the transcript below.

TRANSCRIPT:

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall with Sheku Kanneh-Mason,

I posted about it at the time, and I'm confident the links to the BSO page and the reviews still work. Since I hadn't heard the conce4rt previously, I couldn't give any impressions of my own, so those links are your best source for background information. My recollection is that I found it pleasant enough to listen to when I got to hear it. So you might as well listen this evening.

BSO/Classical New England — 2023/09/23

 WCRB https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2022-11-10/the-symphony-hall-debuts-of-canellakis-and-benedetti-with-the-bso gives us another encore concert broadcast while the BSO is away and we wait for the Symphony Hall season to begin:

Saturday, September 23rd, 2023
8:00 PM

In an encore broadcast, Karina Canellakis takes up her baton at Symphony Hall for the very first time in a folk-inspired Boston Symphony program that features Dvořák’s The Wood Dove and Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra, and Nicola Benedetti makes her BSO debut with Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto No. 2.

Karina Canellakis, conductor
Nicola Benedetti, violin

Anton DVOŘÁK The Wood Dove
Karol SZYMANOWSKI Violin Concerto No. 2
Witold LUTOSŁAWSKI Concerto for Orchestra

This concert was originally broadcast on January 21st, 2023 and is no longer available on demand.

Hear a preview of the program with Karina Canellakis in the audio player above, and read the transcript below:

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT:

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall with Karina Canellakis, who is here to conduct the Boston Symphony for the first time in this space, though, Karina, you have conducted the BSO a couple of times in the past. Thanks for a little bit of your time today.

I posted about back in January, and although I wasn't enthusiastic about it, the good reviews led me to recommend listening. I have no reason to change that. I presume the links in my post still work.

 Enjoy.

BSO/Classical New England — 2023/09/16

 Return with us now to the thrilling days of earlier this year. Garrick Ohlsson rides again in an encore broadcast of the January 14 concert. WCRB tells us more:

Saturday, September 16th, 2023
8:00 PM

In an encore broadcast, Alan Gilbert conducts the Boston Symphony in a program that includes Dvořák’s glittering Carnival Overture and the world premiere of Justin Dello Joio’s Piano Concerto, Oceans Apart, with soloist Garrick Ohlsson.

Alan Gilbert, conductor
Garrick Ohlsson, piano

Lili BOULANGER D’un Matin de Printemps
Wilhelm STENHAMMAR Serenade
Justin DELLO JOIO Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, Oceans Apart (world premiere)
Antonín DVOŘÁK Carnival Overture

This concert was originally broadcast on January 14th, 2023 and is no longer available on demand.

To hear a preview of the program with conductor Alan Gilbert, listen with the audio player above and read the transcript in the tab below. To hear an interview with pianist Garrick Ohlsson, listen with the audio player below and read the transcript in the tab below:

Garrick Ohlsson InterviewAlan Gilbert Interview

This interviews with the soloist and conductor are linked on the station's page.

My post about it last January gives links to reviews and the BSO performance detail page, which could be good reading before or during the show. As I mentioned, I wasn't there for the earlier performance, and frankly I don't remember anything about it from whatever I colud hear broadcast. OTOH the Carnival Overture is pretty good. So you might as well listen in and see how you like it all.

BSO/Classical New England — 2023/09/09

 This week's "encore concert" is a single work. WCRB tells us:

Saturday, September 9th, 2022
8:00 PM

In an encore broadcast, the Boston Symphony scales the depth and breadth of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 led by Music Director Andris Nelsons.

Andris Nelsons, conductor

Gustav MAHLER Symphony No. 6

This concert was originally broadcast on October 22nd, 2022 and is no longer available on demand.

Andris Nelsons talks with CRB's Brian McCreath about Mahler's Sixth Symphony, how its emotional power is different from the Fifth Symphony, and how his interpretation of the piece has changed over the years. Also, Nelsons talks about the BSO's upcoming tour to Japan, which include, coincidentally two pieces with major roles for ... cowbells (Mahler's Sixth Symphony and Strauss's Alpine Symphony). To listen, use the audio player above, and read the transcript below.

TRANSCRIPT:

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall with Andris Nelsons. And Andris, it's great to see you again and great to hear Mahler's Sixth Symphony. One of the the pieces that's a remarkable piece of music, but maybe, perhaps, less understood by audiences than other symphonies by Mahler. I'm curious about what draws you to Mahler's Sixth Symphony.

If you go to the WCRB page you have the option of listening to the interview with Maestro Nelsons. If you have the time before the concert, that might be better than reading the transcript because, as I see in the transcript, there are several places where he sings a bit of the music to show what he's talking about.

I posted quite favorably about my experience hearing it two days earlier. The links in my post to the BSO page and the reviews are probably still working, so you can avail yourself of them to prepare for the show. I hope you'll enjoy it if you listen.

BSO/Classical New England — 2023/09/02

 The "encore broadcasts" continue. This week we get a chance to hear the concert of November 26, 2022. Here's the description from WCRB:

In an encore broadcast, BSO Assistant Conductor Anna Rakitina conducts the suite from Elena Langer’s Figaro Gets a Divorce and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, and Inon Barnatan is the soloist in the crown-jewel of Rachmaninoff’s works, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

Anna Rakitina, conductor
Inon Barnatan, piano

Elena LANGER Figaro Gets a Divorce Suite
Sergei RACHMANINOFF Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Modest MUSSORGSKY Pictures at an Exhibition (orch. Ravel)

This concert was originally broadcast on November 26th, 2022 and is no longer available on demand.

In a conversation with CRB's Brian McCreath, pianist Inon Barnatan describes his love for Rachmaninoff's music, how the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is unique among the composer's works for piano, and what he's learned as Music Director of the La Jolla SummerFest. To listen, use the player above, and read the transcript below.

TRANSCRIPT:

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall with Inon Barnatan, who is back with the BSO for the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, one of my favorite pieces by Rachmaninoff, and so, Inon, thanks a lot for your

I wrote about it at the time, and the links in my post still work, so you can go there to read the review in the Intelligencer — unimpressed by the Langer, enthusiastic for the Rachmaninoff, and finding fault with the Mussorgsky. You can also see the program notes which are available at the BSO's performance detail page. The explanation of the pictures might make the Mussorgsky more understandable. The Globe ended up publishing a favorable review a few days after I posted.

So there you have it: two familiar pieces, one very well performed, after a newish item that's no great shucks. If my brother weren't going to call at the time, I'd be tempted to listen to the Rachmaninoff "Rhapsody," and follow the Red Sox game before and after that, but I don't think it'd be a big mistake to listen to the wole thing.