BSO/Classical New England — 2026/03/29

 For whatever reason, WCRB is giving us an "encore broadcast" instead of tonight's concert from Symphony Hall. Here's their blurb: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2024-10-31/revolucion-diamantina-with-the-crossing-giancarlo-guerrero-alban-gerhardt

WCRB

Classical Music on WCRB

JS Bach: Complete Keyboard ConcAll StreamsSaturday, March 28, 2026

8:00 PM

In an encore broadcast, hear acclaimed Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz's ballet score Revolución diamantina, exploring the powerful, feminist “Glitter Revolution” campaign in Mexico that highlighted the epidemic of violence against women. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wonderfully depicts love’s passion and an infernal whirlwind in his tone poem Francesca da Rimini, and Alban Gerhardt is soloist in the composer’s charming Variations on a Rococo Theme.

Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor
Alban Gerhardt, cello
The Crossing 
 Donald Nally, Artistic Director

Gabriela ORTIZ Revolución diamantina
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY Variations on a Rococo Theme, for cello and orchestra
TCHAIKOVSKY Francesca da Rimini

This concert was originally broadcast on March 1, 2025.

In a preview of this concert, conductor Giancarlo Guerrero describes Gabriela Ortiz's Revolución diamantina, how Tchaikovksy's music relates to it, and what he's looking forward to in his new position as Music Director of the Sarasota Orchestra next season. Listen with the player above, and read the transcript below.

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT:

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall with Giancarlo Guerrero, who's back

 

Speculation is that Renee Fleming's cpntract doesn't allow her performance to be broadcast. In any event, it's not being broadcast. I posted about the concert we'll be getting last year, so you can "Read all about it.

Enjoy.

BSO — 2026/03/21

 FYI https://classical-scene.com/2026/03/06/andris-nelsons-to-retire/#comment-48715

This evening WCRB broadcasts a concert of music by Schumann and Tchaikovsky. Here's their description: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2026-01-08/the-romance-of-schumann-with-yunchan-lim-and-the-bso

Saturday, March 21, 2026
8:00 PM

In a program that embodies the heightened emotions of the Romantic spirit, 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition winner Yunchan Lim returns to Symphony Hall for Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto, followed by Tchaikovsky’s musical interpretation of a Lord Byron drama, the “Manfred” Symphony.

Andris Nelsons, conductor
Yunchan Lim, piano

Robert SCHUMANN Piano Concerto
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY Manfred

The BSO's performance detail page tells us more, and if you go to the page itself and click on the arrows, you can access program notes and performer bios. https://www.bso.org/events/mar-19-22-schumann-tchaikovsk?performance=2026-03-21-20:00

Boston Symphony Orchestra Andris Nelsons, conductor Yunchan Lim, piano SCHUMANN Piano Concerto       intermissionTCHAIKOVSKY Manfred  

Vaulted to worldwide prominence as the youngest-ever winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Yunchan Lim returns to Symphony Hall for Robert Schumann’s lyrical, introspective Piano Concerto, written for his wife Clara, one of the most admired pianists of the 19th century. Inspired throughout his life by literary sources, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote his Manfred — actually a four-movement symphony — based on Lord Byron’s Gothic verse play of the same name about a nihilistic nobleman wandering the Alps in search of meaning.

The Globe has a review/news story https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/03/20/arts/bso-andris-nelsons-heros-welcome-symphony-hall/?p1=BGSearch_Overlay_Results which praises the performance. There is also an admiring review in the Intelligencer https://classical-scene.com/2026/03/20/champions-cross-symphony-hall/ which does not ignore the context.

Even without the added drama, this seems to be a concert well worth listening to.

BSO — 2026/03/07

 Tonight we get an all Brahms concert conducted by the venerable Herbert Blomstedt. WCRB describes the program and offeers an interview with Maestro Blomstedt. https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2026-03-07/blomstedt-conducts-an-all-brahms-program-with-the-bso

Saturday, March 7, 2026
8:00 PM

Nonagenarian Swedish conductor Herbert Blomstedt returns to Symphony Hall to lead an All-Brahms program, including two choral masterpieces, Nänie and Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny), sung by the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and and his Fourth Symphony.

Herbert Blomstedt, conductor
Tanglewood Festival Chorus
Lisa Wong, guest choral conductor

All-Johannes BRAHMS program
Schicksalslied, for chorus and orchestra
Nänie, for chorus and orchestra
Symphony No. 4

In a conversation with CRB's Brian McCreath, Herbert Blomstedt describes the relevance of the two choral works by Brahms to today's world, the complementary character of the Symphony No. 4, and what's behind his long-time success as a leader of orchestral musicians. To listen, use the player above, and read the transcript below. 

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

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT (lightly edited for clarity):

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath, and I'm with Herbert Blomstedt,

The BSO's performance detail page gives a more extensive introduction as well as providing links to the performer bios and program notes, for which you have to go to the orchestra's page and click on the arrow after the item you want. https://www.bso.org/events/mar-5-7-brahms?performance=2026-03-07-20%3A00

Boston Symphony Orchestra Herbert Blomstedt, Conductor Tanglewood Festival Chorus Lisa Wong, guest choral conductorBRAHMS Schicksalslied*, for chorus and orchestra  BRAHMS Nänie, for chorus and orchestra*       intermissionBRAHMS Symphony No. 4  

*Performed in German with English supertitles

Two choral masterpieces, Brahms’ Nänie (Lament) and Schicksalslied(Song of Destiny), crystallize the haunting beauty of classical poetry set to music, exploring fate, loss, and divine indifference. Brahms’ fourth and final symphony is a work of brooding intensity, a symphonic elegy that balances lyrical warmth with memorable motifs and an explosive grand finale. Initially nervous about the work's reception, Brahms downplayed the symphony, calling it "a bunch of polkas and waltzes.” While dance elements are present, the truth is that these dances form the foundation of a mountain of a piece that capped off Brahms's career.

There is a friendly review https://classical-scene.com/2026/03/06/altar-brahms/ in the Intelligencer. So far, nothing in the Globe.

Who knows how many more years Herbert Blomstedt has left? Enjoy his work while you can.