BSO/Classical New England — 2023/10/28

 The BSO isn't at Symphony Hall this week, so WCRB is giving us an "encore broadcast" of a concert from last April. Herewith the particulars as they give them:

Saturday, October 28th, 2023
8:00pm

In an encore broadcast, BSO Assistant Conductor Earl Lee conducts Unsuk Chin’s powerful tribute to Beethoven, subito con forza, and Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 2, as well as Mozart’s brooding Piano Concerto No. 20 featuring soloist Eric Lu in his Boston Symphony debut.

Earl Lee, conductor
Eric Lu, piano

Unsuk CHIN subito con forza
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 20, K. 466
Robert SCHUMANN Symphony No. 2

This concert was originally broadcasted on April 8th, 2023 is no longer available on demand.

Hear a preview with conductor Earl Lee using the audio player above, and read the transcript below.

TRANSCRIPT:

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall with Earl Lee, Boston Symphony Assistant Conductor. Earl,

For whatever reason, I failed to post about it back in April. Fortunately, the BSO performance detail page for the concert is still available, with active links to the program notes and the following general blurb:

BSO Assistant Conductor Earl Lee, making his full-program Symphony Hall debut, is joined by acclaimed young Chinese American pianist Eric Lu for Wolfgang Mozart’s passionate, stormy D minor piano concerto. The title of South Korean-born composer Unsuk Chin’s brief, exciting concert opener translates as "suddenly, with power." Composed during one of his periods of chronic depression, Robert Schumann’s Second Symphony is nevertheless wonderfully affirmative and optimistic in character.

Eric Lu’s performance Friday afternoon is supported by the May and Dan Pierce Guest Artist Fund.

---

Earl Lee, conductor
Eric Lu, piano

Unsuk CHIN subito con forza
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K.466
Intermission
SCHUMANN Symphony No. 2

The review in the Globe is favorable; I can't find one in the Intelligencer.

It seems that if this isn't quite up to the level of "must listen," you could certainly do worse.

BBSO — 2023/10/21

 This is one you won't want to miss. Here's how WCRB describes it:

Saturday, October 21, 2023
8:00pm

Encore broadcast on Monday, October 30

Andris Nelsons leads the BSO in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 with soloist Paul Lewis. This heroic piece is paired with Hannah Kendall’s The Spark Catchers, a new work inspired by imagery from Lemn Sissay’s poem by the same name, and James Lee III’s Freedom’s Genuine Dawn, a BSO co-commission with texts by the 19th-century African-American orator and activist Frederick Douglass read by narrator Thomas Warfield.

Andris Nelsons, conductor 
Paul Lewis, piano
Thomas Warfield, narrator

Hannah KENDALL The Spark Catchers
James LEE III Freedom’s Genuine Dawn, for narrator and orchestra (BSO co-commission)
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5, Emperor

Read Lemn Sissay's 2017 poem "The Spark Catchers" here.

Read the entire text of "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" from PBS and learn more about the speech from the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Using the tabs below, you can hear composer James Lee III describe the genesis of Freedom's Genuine Dawn as well as Paul Lewis describe the journey of performing all five of Beethoven's Piano Concertos. Transcripts included below.

James Lee III InterviewPaul Lewis Interview

Of course, the major attraction comes after the intermission, Beethoven's Fifth Piano Concerty, nicknamed "Emperor." It ranks amount my faavorite pieces ever. But the first part of the concert is also intriguing. I want to hear "Freedom's Genuine Dawn. From the description in the program notes, it should be worth heariing. I heard "The Spark Catchers" on Friday afternoon along with Beethoven's No. 2 and 4 on Friday afternoon. It's ho-hum — definitely tolerable but, on first hearing, not memorable. On balance, I'd say it's worth sitting through to get to the rest of the show.

The program notes, for more information about the pieces, are linked on the BSO's own performance detail page, which begins with this description of the concert:

Andris Nelsons, conductor
Paul Lewis, piano 
Thomas Warfield, narrator 

Hannah KENDALL The Spark Catchers 
James LEE III Freedom’s Genuine Dawn, for narrator and orchestra (Co-commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons, Music Director, through the generous support of the New Works Fund established by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.)
Intermission
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5, Emperor

English pianist Paul Lewis takes us on a musical and stylistic adventure through all five of Beethoven’s piano concertos over three concerts. These performances are paired with two poetic journeys: Hannah Kendall’s The Spark Catchers, inspired by imagery from Lemn Sissay’s poem by the same name; and James Lee III’s Freedom’s Genuine Dawn, a BSO co-commission set with texts by the seminal 19th-century African American orator and activist Frederick Douglass.

The review in the Intelligencer gives some idea of what to expect in "The Spark Catchers." Since it is of the Thursday concert, it has nothing about the rest of the program. So far, there is no review in the Globe.

I'll be going out to my club for dinner. I want to try the veal chop which is a special this week. But I definitely plan to hear the rebroadcast on Monday October 30. I recommend listening this evening if you're free, and again or for the first time on the 30th.

BSO — 2023/10/14

It looks like an unusual concert this evening. WCRB tells us:

Saturday, October 14, 2023
8:00pm

Encore broadcast on Monday, October 23

Yo-Yo Ma brings his unsurpassed passion to both of Shostakovich’s powerfully emotional cello concertos as part of the BSO’s multi-season survey of Shostakovich’s symphonies and concertos, and Haydn’s Symphony No. 22, nicknamed Philosopher, is paired with Iman Habibi’s moving Zhiân in a program led by Music Director Andris Nelsons.

Andris Nelsons, conductor 
Yo-Yo Ma, cello 

Joseph HAYDN Symphony No. 22, Philosopher 
Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No. 2
Iman HABIBI Zhiân (BSO commission)
SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No. 1

Listen to The World's interview with Iman Habibi from earlier this year and learn the meaning behind Zhiân.

The BSO performance detail page puts it this way:

Andris Nelsons, conductor 
Yo-Yo Ma, cello 

HAYDN Symphony No. 22, Philosopher 
SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No. 2
Intermission
Iman HABIBI Zhiân (Commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons, Music Director, through the generous support of the New Works Fund established by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.)
SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No. 1

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma brings his unsurpassed skill and passion to both of Shostakovich’s powerful cello concertos, originally written for the legendary Mstislav Rostropovich. These performances are part of the BSO’s multi-season survey of Shostakovich’s symphonies and concertos. Haydn’s stately Symphony No. 22, nicknamed Philosopher, pairs with Iman Habibi’s Zhiân, a BSO commission, to round out the evening. 

Saturday’s concert is supported by Lloyd Axelrod, M.D.

The Friday Preview on October 13 at 12:15pm will be hosted by author and Northeastern emeritus professor Harlow Robinson with composer Iman Habibi. Admission included with ticket.

As usual, there are links to the program notes, which could be interesting. You may also get some idea about the music from the review in the Intelligencer. The Globe also has a generally favorable review, but questions the choice of Haydn to open the concert.

In general, I don't care for Shostakovich, and I don't hope for much from Zhiân. OTOH, the Haydn symphony is very enjoyable. If it were just a little earlier, I might skip it this evening and go to my club for dinner and plan to catch the rebroadcats on the 23rd. Anyway, I recommend the Haydn.

BSO — 2023/10/07

 The Orchestra begins their subscription season in Symphony Hall this week after five months away. WCRB has chosen to give us a recording of the Friday afternoon concert (which I attended) rather than this evening's Opening Night Gala, which began at 6:00 p.m. It has a different second half: Duke Ellington's New World A-Coming for piano and Orchestra and Carlos Simon's Four Black American Dances instead of the Muskats and Strauss. IIRC, they played the Simon piece last season in Symphony Hall and again this summer at Tanglewood.

Anyway, here's WCRB's description:

Saturday, October 7, 2023
8:00pm

Andris Nelsons begins his 10th season as the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director with works by Beethoven, Richard Strauss, and Arturs Maskats, as well as Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23, with soloist Rudolf Buchbinder.

Andris Nelsons, conductor
Rudolf Buchbinder, piano

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN Consecration of the House Overture
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART Piano Concerto No. 23
Arturs MASKATS Tango 
Richard STRAUSS Suite from Der Rosenkavalier

(This concert is performed on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023)

To hear Rudolf Buchbinder talk with CRB's Brian McCreath about Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23, his most recent recording, Soirée de Vienne, and more, use the player above and follow along with the transcript below.

TRANSCRIPT:

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall with Rudolf Buchbinder, back to begin the Boston Symphony's new season with Mozart's P

The BSO's own performance detail page gives links to the program notes for each piece as well as performer bios and the following blurb:

Boston Symphony Orchestra

Symphony Hall, Boston, MA 

Andris Nelsons, conductor 
Rudolf Buchbinder, piano

BEETHOVEN Consecration of the House Overture 
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 23 in A, K.488
Intermission
Arturs MASKATS Tango 
STRAUSS Suite from Der Rosenkavalier

Ludwig van Beethoven’s masterful Consecration of the House Overture raises the curtain on our season. Soloist Rudolf Buchbinder joins music director Andris Nelsons for Wolfgang Mozart’s light and lyrical Piano Concerto No. 23; Latvian composer Arturs Maskats’ Tango, a rich orchestral tribute to the dance, follows. The program closes with the theme from Richard Strauss’s 1911 opera Der Rosenkavalier, another lilting waltz that lovingly evokes the grace and elegance of Mozart’s years in Vienna.

There is a very favorable review in the Intelligencer. I can't find anything about it in the Globe.

I enjoyed the performance, especially the first half, and while nothing was particularly earth-shattering or "revelatory," there's nothing that was unpleasant either. So I give it a solid thumbs up.