BSO — 2026/01/31

 This evening's BSO concert is another in the "E Pluribus Unum" series. There isn't much information available, because the BSO performance detail page for the concert isn't available, which leaves this description from WCRB along with the interview which you can access (audio or transcript) via the WCRB page: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2026-01-31/carlos-simons-good-news-mass-with-wilkins-and-the-bso

Saturday, January 31, 2026
8:00 PM

BSO Conductor Thomas Wilkins leads the Boston premiere of Good News Mass, a new co-commission by Composer Chair Carlos Simon that includes narration by librettist and spoken word artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph and vocal contributions by tenor Zebulon Ellis, gospel choruses, and others. Simon’s mass is paired with another work of faith by contemporary composer David Lang. Inspired by the world of Charles Ives and the simplicity of New England hymns, poor hymnal was composed for the Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble The Crossing, using a wide variety of texts to contemplate how we respond to those in need.

Thomas Wilkins, conductor
Jekalyn Carr, soprano
Melvin Crispel III, alto
Zebulon Ellis, tenor
Marc Bamuthi Joseph, librettist and spoken word artist
The Crossing
Donald Nally, Artistic Director
Gospel Choruses 
Dennis Slaughter, Guest Chorus Director

David LANG Selections from poor hymnal
Carlos SIMON Good News Mass (with video by Melina Matsoukas; BSO co-commission)

Learn more about the Boston Symphony Orchestra's 2025-2026 season on their site.

Carlos Simon talks with CRB's Brian McCreath about Good News Mass, its use of the Hammond B3 organ, the work's relationship to other sacred music, and the very personal origin of one of the hymns embedded in it. To listen, use the player above, and read the transcript below.

TRANSCRIPT (lightly edited for clarity:

Brian McCreath I'm Brian

We do get more information about it all in this review https://www.classical-scene.com/2026/01/31/boston-symphony-orchestra-spreads-the-good-news/ in the Intelligencer.

I wonder what it will mean that the "poor hymanl" is  "inspired by the world of Charles Ives." I've been thinking that Charles Ives should be included in any series about 250 years of aAmerican music, and the series has struck me as too focused on recent and contemporary music and too ready to pull in music from abroad with some tenuous connection to the United States. Well we'll see how this turns out.

BSO — 2026/01/24

 This week the "E Pluribus Unum" series turns to music of John Williams, some from movies and some "serious." Here's how WCRB describes the program: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2026-01-24/the-bso-celebrates-john-williams-with-emanuel-ax-and-gil-shaham

Saturday, January 24, 2026
8:00 PM

To celebrate one of America’s greatest and most expansive composers, Andris Nelsons leads an all-John Williams program! Pianist Emanuel Ax performs the Boston premiere of Williams’s Piano Concerto, and violinist Gil Shaham is the soloist in TreeSong and the Theme from “Schindler’s List," part of a program that also includes music from “Catch Me if You Can” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”

Andris Nelsons, conductor
Emanuel Ax, piano
Gil Shaham, violin 

All-John WILLIAMS program
"Joy Ride" from Escapades
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
TreeSong, for violin and orchestra
Theme from Schindler’s List
Suite from Close Encounters of the Third Kind

The BSO program performance page is a bit more expansive, including links to performer bios but unfortunately none to program notes for the selections: https://www.bso.org/events/jan-22-25-john-williams-prog?performance=2026-01-24-20%3A00

Boston Symphony Orchestra Andris Nelsons, conductor Emanuel Ax, piano Gil Shaham, Violin All-John WILLIAMS program  “Joy Ride” from EscapadesPiano Concerto      intermissionTreeSong, for violin and orchestra Theme from Schindler’s ListSuite from Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Considered among the greatest film composers of all time, Boston Pops Conductor Laureate and longtime BSO family member John Williams is also known for his concert works. His new Piano Concerto, composed for Emanuel Ax, received its premiere at Tanglewood in summer 2025. Violinist Gil Shaham gave the world premiere of TreeSong with the BSO and Williams at Tanglewood in 2000; the piece was inspired by dawn redwood trees in Boston’s Public Garden and Arnold Arboretum. Shaham also plays the poignant Schindler’s Listtheme, and other music from Williams’s film scores begins and ends the program.

So far the Globe hasn't published a review. There is a fairly lengthy and favorable one in the Intelligencer. https://www.classical-scene.com/2026/01/23/williams-smiles/

Weather and other circumstance held me back from attending on Thursday or Friday, so I have no observations of my own to add. I'll be listening this evening, with particular interest in the piano concerto, although it should all be good.

BSO — 2026/01/10

 This evening the BSO returns to Symphony Hall. Thwy open this part of the season with the first of a series of concerts with the heading "E Pluribus Unum," celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

 Here's how WCRB describes it: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2026-01-10/samuel-barbers-vanessa-with-the-bso

Saturday, January 10, 2026
8:00 PM

To begin the Boston Symphony’s E Pluribus Unum, or From Many, One, a broad, multi-concert exploration of American music, Andris Nelsons leads the BSO in Samuel Barber’s hauntingly beautiful opera “Vanessa,” in collaboration with the Boston Lyric Opera. This is the BSO’s first full performance of the Pulitzer Prize-winning work, which The New York Times lauded as “the best American opera ever presented” when it premiered to 17 curtain calls at the Metropolitan Opera in 1958.

Andris Nelsons, conductor
Jennifer Holloway, soprano (Vanessa)
Samantha Hankey, mezzo-soprano (Erika)
Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo-soprano (The Old Baroness)
Ganson Salmon, tenor (Anatol)
Patrick Carfizzi, baritone (The Old Doctor)
Wei Wu, bass (Major Domo/Footman)
Tanglewood Festival Chorus
Betsy Burleigh, guest choral conductor
Boston Lyric Opera Chorus
Brett Hodgdon, conductor

Samuel BARBER Vanessa

The BSO performance detail page puts it this way: https://www.bso.org/events/jan-8-10-barber-vanessa?performance=2026-01-10-20:00

Boston Symphony Orchestra Andris Nelsons, conductor Jennifer Holloway, soprano (Vanessa) Samantha Hankey, mezzo-soprano (Erika) Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo-soprano (The Old Baroness) Ganson Salmon, tenor (Anatol) Patrick Carfizzi, baritone (The Old Doctor) Wei Wu, bass (Major Domo/Footman) Alexandra Dietrich, staging coordinator Tanglewood Festival Chorus Betsy Burleigh, guest choral conductorBoston Lyric Opera ChorusBrett Hodgdon, conductorBARBER Vanessa  

Composed by Samuel Barber
Libretto by Gian Carlo Menotti
Presented under license from G, Schirmer, Inc., copyright owners

Andris Nelsons leads some of the most acclaimed stars of opera today in performances of Samuel Barber’s Vanessa, a work considered by many the greatest American opera. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1958, Vanessa premiered at the Metropolitan Opera that year. Barber wrote the opera on a libretto by Gian Carlo Menotti; they aimed for a cosmopolitan, nostalgic work on lost love and the consequences of self-delusion. Barber’s romantic lyricism is ever-present in this powerfully affecting work, a centerpiece of this season’s E Pluribus Unum: From Many, One focus.

At the page there are arrows giving links to the performer bios and (hooray!) to the program notes.

Perhaps you can find the libretto somewhere. The program notes willl give a bit of an idea of what is going on, but it will be almost impossible to follow word for word without the libretto. 

The favorable review in the Intelligencer https://www.classical-scene.com/2026/01/10/bso-vanessa/ might be interesrting.

Well, I heard the Saturday afternoon broadcast from the Met in 1958 and didn't much care fior it then. I was there on Thursday evening this week and still don't like it. Apart from a couple of spots (especially the party scene) the music is unmelodic to my ears, and even with supertitles it wasn't always easy to figure out what they were singing. The story itself is kind of interesting, and the guy who sang the role of the Old Doctor was very good, but overall, I can't recommend listening unless you're curious or really like 20th Century music.