BSO — 2024/10/26

 Last week I was a bit busy and didn't get around to making a regular post, but you can hear the concert on Monday evening at 8:00. It's worth hearing. Here's what's in store for this evening, as told to us by WCRB:

Saturday, October 26, 2024
8:00 PM

Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet brings dazzling elegance to Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2, and Antonio Pappano conducts two works that ask deep questions of humanity. Richard Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra, with its immediately recognizable opening “sunrise,” is a musical response to Friedrich Nietzsche’s metaphysical novel of the same name. Hannah Kendall uses unusual orchestral techniques and music boxes in her recent O flower of fire, inspired by the work of Guyanese-British poet Martin Carter.

Sir Antonio Pappano, conductor
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

Hannah KENDALL O flower of fire (American premiere)
Franz LISZT Piano Concerto No. 2
Richard STRAUSS Also sprach Zarathustra

Sir Antonio Pappano describes the unique qualities of Hannah Kendall's music, and previews the works by Liszt and Strauss on this program, in an interview you can hear using the player above, with the transcript below.

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT (lightly edited for clarity):

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall with Sir Antonio Pappano, back here with the Boston Symphony for a really amazing program

WCRB's description is lifted from the BSO performance detail page, where you can also find links to performer bios and program notes, which may be of some interest.

I can't find a review in the Globe but the Intelligencer has one that is generally favorable.

I was there on Friday afternoon and found the Kendall piece quite tolerable, alternating loud and soft passages. I could hear the harmonicas when I saw musicians playing them, and I think I even heard a music box in some very soft passages. But if I never hear it again after this evening and maybe in the rebroadcast on November 4, it will be no great loss. I wish the BSO gave us more of the old curtain raisers such as 19th Century overtures and fewer of these new pieces that they'll probably never want to play again.

The Liszt concerto was fun to listen to, and the Strauss was good as well. Of course, I think the philosophy of Nietzsche which inspired Strauss is balderdash, but the music doesn't depend on it and makes for interesting listening. Until I read thee program note I hadn't realized that the piece had sections corresponding to sections of the book. It may be a bit more interesting to try to follow that program. OTOH it may not be easy to hear the trnsitions from one section to another.

Anyway, this should be a pretty good evening.

Tanglewood — 2024/08/02-04

 It looks as if the BSO is taking a bit of a breather. Tonight's concert was recorded on July 7, and tomorrow's features the Boston Pops (many of whose members are also members of the BSO).

Tonight we get to hear Renée Fleming along with the BSO. Here's the synopsis from WCRB:

Friday, August 2, 2024
8:00 PM

Andris Nelsons leads the Boston Symphony in a full program of dynamic, graceful, and emotionally riveting works by Richard Strauss, including music from Die Frau ohne Schatten and Der Rosenkavalier, starring the world-renowned singer Renée Fleming.

Boston Symphony Orchestra
Renée Fleming, soprano
Andris Nelsons, conductor

ALL-STRAUSS program, including
Symphonic Fantasy from Die Frau ohne Schatten, Opus 65

Ständchen, Opus 17, No. 2
Befreit, Opus 39, No. 4
Gesang der Apollopriesterin, Opus 33, No. 2

Träumerei im Kamin (“Dreaming by the Fireside”) from Intermezzo, Opus 72

“Die Zeit, die ist ein sonderbar Ding” and “Da geht er hin” from Der Rosenkavalier, Opus 59

Suite from Der Rosenkavalier, Opus 59

Recorded on Jul 7, 2024.

Back in July, I was puzzled as to why they didn't broadcast this on the day it was performed and it's still a bit surprising that they didn't give us this back then and an "encore broadcast" now. Well, this should be worth listening to anyway.

Here's what we get from the BSO's performance detail page:

Tanglewood

Koussevitzky Music Shed, Lenox/Stockbridge, MA 

Boston Symphony Orchestra 
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Renée Fleming, soprano

ALL-STRAUSS PROGRAM
 

Symphonic Fantasy on Die Frau ohne Schatten
Songs with orchestra
"Träumerei im Kamin" from Intermezzo
“Die Zeit” and “Da geht er hin” from Der Rosenkavalier
Suite from Der Rosenkavalier

Experience the lush and expressive romanticism of Richard Strauss under the summer sky with superstar soprano Renée Fleming, one of the greatest contemporary interpreters of Strauss.

This afternoon's concert is generously supported by Drs. Anna L. and Peter B. Davol.

This afternoon's performance by Renée Fleming is generously supported by the MacKenzie Family, dedicated with deepest gratitude to the outstanding Tanglewood Staff and Volunteers.

I can't find a link to the program notes, but the music should still be pleasant.

Saturday is Film Night. WCRB says:

Saturday, August 3, 2024
8:00 PM

From Hollywood’s Golden Age to John Williams’s iconic scores, Film Night with the Boston Pops returns to Tanglewood with a special celebration of Henry Mancini’s 100th birthday, all led by conductors Ken-David Masur and David Newman.

Boston Pops Orchestra
Ken-David Masur and David Newman, conductors

John Williams’ Film Night

KORNGOLD Suite from The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
NORTH Forest Meeting and March from Spartacus
John WILLIAMS Theme from Seven Years in Tibet (Oliver Aldort, cello)
MANCINI Theme from The Pink Panther; March from The Great Waldo Pepper; "Moon River" from Breakfast at Tiffany's
John WILLIAMS "The Duel" from The Adventures of Tintin
BERNSTEIN Suite from On the Waterfront

John WILLIAMS Superman March
John WILLIAMS Celebrating NBC: Olympic Fanfare and Theme; Meet the Press; The Mission Theme (NBC Nightly News); Wide Receiver (Sunday Night Football)
RAKSIN Theme from Laura (Lucia Lin, violin)
John WILLIAMS Three selections from Star Wars: March of the Resistance; Luke and Leia; Throne Room and Finale

In an interview with Brian McCreath from 2016, John Williams discusses what led him to become a composer, why conducting The Boston Pops is so special, and why he believes Star Wars resonates so profoundly with humanity. Listen to the interview with the audio player above, and follow along with the transcript below.

Note: The Star Wars film discussed here is Star Wars: The Force Awakens,from 2015.

TRANSCRIPT:

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall. I'm with John Williams, and it is a great pleasure to have the chance to speak with you, John. I've enjoyed the Film Night concerts for years and of course all of the films you've scored. So thank you for taking a few minutes with me.

Note that there is an archival interview with John Williams, who apparently won't be present in person.

Here's what the BSO says:

Tanglewood

Koussevitzky Music Shed, Lenox/Stockbridge, MA 

Boston Pops Orchestra 
Ken-David Masur and David Newman, conductors

John Williams’ Film Night
A beloved highlight of the Tanglewood season, John Williams’ Film Night returns! From Hollywood’s golden age to contemporary favorites, conductors Masur and  Newman, lead the Boston Pops in two memorable evenings of music and film clips, including a special celebration of Henry Mancini’s 100th birthday!

Due to a recent health concern, from which he is expected to make a full recovery, John Williams will be unable to perform in these concerts. Conductor David Newman will conduct the second half of the program in his place. 

Fri, Aug 2, 2024, 8:00pm EDT

Sat, Aug 3, 2024, 8:00pm EDT

Aha! Film Night is both Friday and Saturday, so that's why WCRB isn't giving a live performance on Friday. Again, no program notes on the BSO site, but the music should still be good. Get well soon, Maestro Williams.

Now we come to Sunday. WCRB gives us the basics:

Sunday, August 4, 2024
7:00 PM

In a Boston Symphony concert led by Alan Gilbert, violinist Joshua Bell, pianist Kirill Gerstein, and cellist Steven Isserlis are the soloists in Beethoven's Triple Concerto, a masterpiece that broke new ground in its day. The concert closes with Beethoven’s spirited and buoyant Symphony No. 4.

Boston Symphony Orchestra
Alan Gilbert, conductor
Kirill Gerstein, piano
Joshua Bell, violin
Steven Isserlis, cello

ALL-BEETHOVEN program
Triple Concerto
Symphony No. 4

 And the BSO performance detail page puts it thus:

Tanglewood

Koussevitzky Music Shed, Lenox/Stockbridge, MA 

Boston Symphony Orchestra
Alan Gilbert, conductor
Kirill Gerstein, piano
Joshua Bell, violin
Steven Isserlis, cello 
 

ALL-BEETHOVEN PROGRAM

Triple Concerto
-Intermission-
Symphony No. 4

Joshua Bell, Kirill Gerstein, and Steven Isserlis star on all-Beethoven program that features Beethoven's Triple Concerto, a masterpiece that broke new ground in its day, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 4, a thoughtful, intimate work that opens into jubilation. 

Sun, Aug 4, 2024, 2:30pm EDT

The Triple Concerto has been one of my favorite pieces since I first heard a recording of it decades ago, so I'm really looking forward to hearing it this time. The Symphony No. 4 has a fine opening movement and a second movement that is really beautiful. The third and fourth movements are a bit too boisterous for my taste, so much so that I've called the 4th "Beethoven's worst symphony," which is, of course, faint criticism. Anyway, it's worth listening to, and the concerto is "must listen" IMO. The program notes are worth reading.

Enjoy.

Tanglewood — 2024/07/20-21

 This evening we get Wagner at his most tedious (except for Siegfried's funeral march) and tomorrow we get interesting, beautiful, and popular selections. First, here's WCRB telling us about this evening:

Saturday, July 20, 2024
8:00 PM

Andris Nelsons leads the BSO and an all-star cast, featuring soprano Christine Goerke and tenor Michael Weinius, in the epic conclusion of Wagner’s The Ring of the Nibelung, Act III of Götterdämmerung, or Twilight of the Gods

Boston Symphony Orchestra
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Christine Goerke, soprano (Brünnhilde)
Amanda Majeski, soprano (Gutrune)
Michael Weinius, tenor (Siegfried)
James Rutherford, baritone (Gunther)
David Leigh, bass (Hagen)
Diana Newman, Renée Tatum, Catherine Martin (Rhine maidens)
Neal Ferreira and Alex Richardson, tenors; David Kravitz and Markel Reed, baritones; Erik Tofte and Jared Werlein, bass-baritones; Leo Radosavljevic, bass (Vassals)

WAGNER Götterdamerung, Act III

The BSO performance detail page has this to say:

Tanglewood

Koussevitzky Music Shed, Lenox/Stockbridge, MA 

Boston Symphony Orchestra
Andris Nelsons, conductor
John Matsumoto Giampietro, staging coordinator
Christine Goerke, soprano (Brünnhilde)
Amanda Majeski, soprano (Gutrune)
Michael Weinius, tenor (Siegfried) |
James Rutherford, baritone (Gunther)
David Leigh, bass (Hagen) 
Diana Newman, Renée Tatum, and Annie Rosen (Rhine maidens)
Neal Ferreira and Alex Richardson, tenors; David Kravitz and Markel Reed, baritones; Erik Tofte and Jared Werlein, bass-baritones; Leo Radosavljevic, bass (Vassals)

WAGNER Götterdämmerung, Act III

Sung in German with English Supertitles

Please note that there is no intermission in this concert. Duration is about 90 minutes.

Wagner’s Ring Cycle is a masterpiece of art that weaves a fabric of passion, beauty, betrayal, tragedy, and redemption into the tapestry of myth and legend, all set to some of the most stirring, powerful music ever composed.

Join Andris Nelsons, the BSO, and an all-star cast for the peerless conclusion of Wagner’s massive, epic opera Götterdämmerung.

Tonight's concert is generously supported by Rabbis Rachel Hertzman and Rex Perlmeter.

The program note tries to give the whole story of the Ring cycle, which is probably necessary to understand the action of tonight's show. Unfortunately, they don't give the actual text. You'll have to find that for yourself somehow if you want it.

When i say "Wagner at his most tedious," I mean the whole Ring cycle is pretty tedious, but "Siegfried" and "Götterdämmerung" are especially so in my personal opinion — along with "Tristan und Isolde" and "Parsifal." Opinions may vary. Maybe you'll like it. But one evening I was listening to the whole opera and was nearly jolted out of my chair by the beginning of the funeral march. You'll recognize it if you listen.

Then we come to Sunday evening's broadcast of the afternoon concert of the Tanglewood Center Orchestra (not the BSO). Again WCRB gives the outline:

Sunday, July 21, 2024
7:00 PM

Andris Nelsons leads the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra to the stars in Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra and on a journey back home to New England through Ives’s Three Places in New England. Emanuel Ax returns to Tanglewood for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3, a musically complex work that takes the listener through light and shadow, hope and despair.

Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Emanuel Ax, piano

Charles IVES Three Places in New England
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3
Richard STRAUSS Also sprach Zarathustra

See also the BSO performance detail page for the links to the program notes (especially the Ives) and this overall description:

Tanglewood

Koussevitzky Music Shed, Lenox/Stockbridge, MA 

Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra 
Andris Nelsons, conductor 
Emanuel Ax, piano

IVES Three Places in New England 
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3
Intermission
STRAUSS Also sprach Zarathustra

Emanuel Ax returns to Tanglewood for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3, a work of intense emotionality and complex musicality that takes the listener through light and shadow, hope and despair.

Andris Nelsons leads the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra to the stars in Strauss’ palatial Also sprach Zarathustra, and on a journey back home to New England through Ives’ textured Three Places in New England, which tells three very different stories of historic events and landmarks throughout the region.

The 2024 Leonard Bernstein Memorial Concert is supported by generous endowments established in perpetuity by Dr. Raymond and Hannah H. Schneider, and Diane H. Lupean

 Ives is kind of "quirky" and maybe not your proverbial cup of metaphorical tea, but I've become fascinated with much of his stuff, and I definitely want to hear the "Three Places in New England" again. With the Beethoven and Strauss, we're in a more familiar musical style. (I could do without the Strauss, but that's just me. Most concert-goers seem to like it.)

So give it all a try, despite my negativity. I'll be listening.

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.

Tanglewood — 2023/08/11-13

 Today I remembered, so here's a preview of all three Tanglewood concerts to be broadcast this weekend.

First, here's the synopsis for this evening, courtesy of WCRB:

Friday, August 11th, 2023
8:00 PM

Superstar violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter joins Andris Nelsons and the BSO in John Williams's Violin Concerto No. 2, with works by Strauss and Ravel also on the program.

Andris Nelsons, conductor
Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin

John WILLIAMS Violin Concerto No. 2
Richard STRAUSS Death and Transfiguration
Maurice RAVEL La Valse

My recollection of the Williams concerto is that it's nothing to write home about; but the Strauss and Ravel are pretty good. I would'nt call them must-hear. but they've stayed in the repertoire for a reason, and if you don't have something important to do, you might as well listen in.

On Saturday, they save the best for first:

Saturday, August 12th, 2023
8:00 PM

Susanna Mälkki leads the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, and Seong-Jin Cho is the soloist in Mozart’s brilliant Piano Concerto No. 9.

Susanna Mälkki, conductor
Seong-Jin Cho, piano

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat, K. 271
Béla BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra

I have no memory of the Mozart, but it has to be good. As for the Bartók, the BSO owns the piece. That is, it was commissioned by them and they gave the world premiere nearly 80 years ago. Since then it has been one of their signature pieces. Still, it's Bartók, quite dissonant and jagged. I've heard it enough that I'm kind of used to it, but it's probably not to all tastes. I'd suggest giving it a try, if you aren't already familiar with it.

Then on Sunday evening at 7:00 we can hear:

Sunday, August 13th, 2023
7:00 PM

Andris Nelsons leads the BSO in Julia Adolphe’s Makeshift Castle, Stravinsky’s Petrushka, and Strauss songs with orchestra, featuring world-class soprano Renée Fleming.

Andris Nelsons, conductor
Renée Fleming, soprano

Julia ADOLPHE Makeshift Castle
Richard STRAUSS Songs with orchestra
Igor STRAVINSKY Petrushka (1947 version)

Yo-Yo Ma, who was originally scheduled to perform Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1, has withdrawn from this performance due to illness.

I hope Yo-Yo Ma will get well soon. On the other hand I'd rather hear the Strauss than Shostakovich.

The BSO page has links to information about all three concerts and others. They give us the program note about "Makeshift Castle," which at least gives some idea of what to expect and listen for. There doesn't seem to be anything similar for the Strauss and Stravinsky. Strauss is usually pretty good with songs, and Petrushka was composed before "Rite of Spring," so it's not terribly jarring, and actually kind of tuneful.

BSO/Classical New England — 2023/02/25

The orchestra isn't performing in Symphony Hall this week, so WCRB is treating us to an encore broadcast as noted here:

Saturday, February 25, 2023
8:00 PM

Tonight at 8, Lisa Batiashvili is the soloist in Sibelius’s Violin Concerto, and Andris Nelsons leads the BSO in William Grant Still's tribute to the Finnish composer, as well as a Symphonic Fantasy on Richard Strauss's opera "The Woman Without a Shadow," in an encore broadcast on CRB.

Andris Nelsons, conductor
Lisa Batiashvili, violin

STILL Threnody: In Memory of Jan Sibelius
STRAUSS Symphonic Fantasy on Die Frau ohne Schatten
SIBELIUS Violin Concerto

This concert was originally broadcast on October 16, 2021 and is no longer available on demand.

Hear a conversation with Lisa Batiashvili and CRB's Brian McCreath with the audio player above, and read the transcript below.

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT: 

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath from

I wrote about it at the time it was performed, and I have nothing to add except that my vague memory is that it was okay.

The links to the reviews in my post still work, but the one to the performance detail page doesn't. It is archived here. The links to the notes on each piece still work there.

WCRB doesn't promise another rebroadcast nine days hence, and based on past practice I wouldn't expect one. So "it's now or never." Enjoy.