This evening we get two second-tier staples sandwiching a sort of world premiere. Here's WCRB's synopsis: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2026-01-08/malkki-the-jussens-and-a-bso-world-premiere
Saturday, April 18, 2026
8:00 PMDutch duo-pianists Lucas and Arthur Jussen perform a BSO-commissioned piece written for them by American composer and Grawemeyer Award-winner Andrew Norman. Finnish conductor Susanna Mälkki also leads the BSO in Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances and Ravel’s beloved Mother Goose suite.
Susanna Mälkki, conductor
Lucas and Arthur Jussen, pianosMaurice RAVEL Mother Goose Suite
Andrew NORMAN Split, for two pianos and orchestra (world premiere; BSO co-commission)
Sergei RACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances, Op. 45Learn more about the Boston Symphony Orchestra's 2025-2026 season on their site.
In a preview of the program, Susanna Mälkki describes the character and challenge of Andrew Norman's Split, why Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances is one of her favorite pieces, and what she looks for in building effective artistic relationships with orchestras.
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT (lightly edited for clarity):
Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall with Susanna Mälkki, who's back with the Boston Symp
It turns out Split was originally composed in a version for one piano over ten years ago. The composer has reworked itinto the two piano version which the BSO is premiering this week.
More information, including performer bios and program notes, are available at the BSO performance detail page, where we see the following:
Boston Symphony Orchestra Susanna Mälkki, conductor Lucas and Arthur Jussen, Pianos RAVEL Mother Goose Suite Andrew NORMAN Split, for two pianos and orchestra (world premiere; BSO co-commission) intermissionRACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances
Popular Dutch duo-pianists Lucas and Arthur Jussen return to Symphony Hall for a BSO-commissioned world premiere. This music was written especially for them by American composer Andrew Norman, winner of the prestigious Grawemeyer Award for his orchestral work Play. Maurice Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite brings the composer’s mastery of orchestral color to his fairy-tale suite, originally written for piano, four-hands. Closing the program is Sergei Rachmaninoff’s tour-de-force for orchestra, by turns powerfully energetic and meltingly lyrical: his Symphonic Dances, the composer’s final work.
So far I don't see any reviews in either the Globe or the Intelligencer.
I was at the Friday afternoon performance. The Ravel was fine but unexciting. The Jussen brothers were excellent. Unfortunately the music they and the orchestra had to play was mostly loud and unappealing (to me anyway). The brothers would have something nice and then the orchestra would crash in. A musician might see something worthwhile or admire the composer's technique, but it was lost on me. Maybe I'll like it better over the radio this evening. The Jussens certainly deserved the enthusiastic applause they got. I paid closer attention to the Stravinsky than I do when it's being played as part of the regular radio programming and functions nore as background music. So I noticed parts (mostly softer ones) which usually escape my attention. It's a pretty good piece if not up to the level of the greatest compositions of all time.
Bottom line: it's worth listeningg to the concert, especially if the Jussens give us an encore.
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