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.

BSO/Classical New England — 2025/12/13

We get "encore broadcasts" while the BSO is on hiatus and Holiday Pops takes over Symphony Hall. Return with us now to last February to hear music of Schubert and Brahms conducted by Herbert Blomstedt. WCRB informs us: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2024-10-31/blomstedt-conducts-the-bso

Saturday, December 13, 2025
8:00 PM

In an encore broadcast, one of the masters of the art of conducting for over seven decades returns to lead the BSO in Franz Schubert's light-hearted, cheerful Symphony No. 6, as well as the First Symphony by Johannes Brahms.

Herbert Blomstedt, conductor

Franz SCHUBERT Symphony No. 6
Johannes BRAHMS Symphony No. 1

This broadcast was originally broadcast on February 15, 2025, and is no longer available on demand.

To hear Herbert Blomstedt in a conversation with GBH's Arun Rath, use the player above, and read the transcript below.

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT: 

Arun Rath This is GBH is All Things Considered. I'm Arun Rath.

The BSO performance detail page https://www.bso.org/events/schubert-brahams?performance=2025-02-15-20:00 seems to have a link to MaestroBlomstedt's bio, when you go to the page itself, but none to the program notes for the pieces played:

Herbert Blomstedt, conductor 

Herbert Blomstedt, conductor

SCHUBERT Symphony No. 6
-Intermission-
BRAHMS Symphony No. 1

Herbert Blomstedt, celebrating a seven-decade conducting career, returns to lead the BSO in Franz Schubert's light-hearted, cheerful Symphony No. 6, composed when he was 20 and notable as a satisfyingly classical work preceding his more searching later symphonies. Brahms was strongly influenced by Schubert but more so still by Beethoven, whose symphonic shadow apparently kept Brahms from completing his First Symphony until he was 43 years old. A prominent theme in its finale is a direct nod to Beethoven’s Ninth.

I posted about it at the time (with a number of embarrassing typos). You might be interested in my observations from the previous day's performance as well as the "enthusiastic review" in the Intelligencer, which I'm linking here again. https://www.classical-scene.com/2025/02/14/blomstedt-balm/

I definitely recommend listening this evening.

BSO — 2025/11/15

 Tomight's BSO concert hives us a couple of new pieces (one a world premiere this week) before intermission, and a "warhorse" of the repertory after. WCRB says: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2025-09-10/slobodeniouk-conducts-brahms-sierra-and-a-world-premiere

Saturday, November 15, 2025
8:00 PM

Dima Slobodeniouk conducts the Boston Symphony in the highly anticipated world premiere of Tania León’s Time to Time. Afterwards, James Carter is the soloist in Roberto Sierra’s Concerto for Saxophones and Orchestra, and the BSO performs Brahms’s lyrically pastoral Second Symphony.

This performance is part of the E Pluribus Unum: From Many, One celebration, honoring the diverse voices that shape our nation’s musical heritage. Inspired by the spirit of America’s motto, E Pluribus Unum: From Many One is a multi-year celebration that embraces the plurality and singularity of American music. The 2025–26 season’s repertoire includes about three dozen works by composers who have woven the rich tapestry of American music, from Copland, Barber, and Bernstein to modern trailblazers like John Williams, John Adams, Tania León, and Carlos Simon.

Dima Slobodeniouk, conductor
James Carter, saxophones

Tania LEÓN Time to Time (world premiere; BSO co-commission)
Roberto SIERRA Concerto for Saxophones and Orchestra
Johannes BRAHMS Symphony No. 2

In a preview of this program, Dima Slobodeniouk describes the signature sound of music by Tania León, the excitement of Sierra's Concerto for Saxophones and Orchestra, and what it means to perform Brahms with the BSO. Listen in 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 at Symphony Hall with Dima Slobodeniouk, back with the Boston Symphony after some exciting stuff over the summer, but here you are now at Symphony Hall. So Dima, thanks for your time today, I appreciate it.

Dima Slobodeniouk Hi Brian, great to be back

The BSO's performance detail page https://www.bso.org/events/nov-13-15-leon-sierra?performance=2025-11-15-20:00 has links to performers bios and program notes (which may give some idea of what to expect, especially before the intermission). There is also the following overview:

Frequent guest conductor Dima Slobodeniouk leads this celebration of Caribbean composers, beginning with the Pulitzer Prize-winning Cuban American Tania León’s BSO-commissioned Time to Time, whose title reveals the composer’s characteristic preoccupation with duration and rhythm. Puerto Rico-born Roberto Sierra wrote his effervescent, jazz- and Latin-tinged concerto especially for James Carter’s lyricism and technical prowess on both soprano and tenor sax. Johannes Brahms’ Second Symphony is considered among his warmest, most pastoral works.

There is a favorable review https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/15/arts/bso-tania-leon-brahms/?event=event12 in the Globe. The review in the Intelligencer is also favorable https://www.classical-scene.com/2025/11/15/leon-ierra-brahms-backseated/ and very descriptive.

I'm interested to actually hear the new pieces.

Tanglewood — 2025/08/16-17

 A fairly standard couple of concerts remain for our listening pleasure this weekend. I'm sorry I got distracted and didn't post about the Friday offering.

August 16, 2025

Three front rank nineteenth century composers provided the music for this evening's program. Here's WCRB's description: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2025-05-27/handlers-boston-symphony-debut-with-hadelich-at-tanglewood

Saturday, August 16, 2025

8:00 PM

BSO Assistant Conductor Anna Handler makes her Tanglewood and BSO debuts, conducting three major works from the Western classical tradition: Brahms’s Tragic Overture, Schumann’s Symphony No. 4, and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with GRAMMY-winning violinist Augustin Hadelich.

Anna Handler, conductor
Augustin Hadelich, violin

Johannes BRAHMS Tragic Overture
Robert SCHUMANN Symphony No. 4
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto

See details of Augustin Hadelich's performances as the BSO's Artist-in-Residence during the 2025-2026 season.

To hear a preview of this program with conductor Anna Handler, use the player above.

The WCRB page has an audio interview with the conductor which could be interesting. There is no transcript, though.

The BSO's performance detail page https://www.bso.org/events/bso-august-16-augustin-hadelich?performance=2025-08-16-20%3A00 has the usual links to performer bios and program notes.

August 17, 2025

Tomorrow's concert, which we can hear at 7:00 p.m., Boston Time, gives us music by and about Sibelius along with a piano concerto. WCRB's synopsis follows: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2025-05-27/thibaudet-and-liszts-second-piano-concerto-at-tanglewood

Sunday, August 17, 2025
7:00 PM

Superstar pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet joins Dima Slobodeniouk in the Berkshires to perform Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 on a program that also features two works by Sibelius and Threnody, an homage to the Finnish composer, written by William Grant Still.

Dima Slobodeniouk, conductor
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

William Grant STILL Threnody (In Memory of Jan Sibelius) 
Franz LISZT Piano Concerto No. 2
Jean SIBELIUS Valse triste 
SIBELIUS Symphony No. 3

For links to the performer bios and program notes, go to the BSO's performance detail page:

https://www.bso.org/events/bso-august-17-jean-yves-thibau?performance=2025-08-17-14%3A30

These should be two very enjoyable evenings.

Tanglewood — 2025/07/19-20

 "A night at the opera" and an evening of orchestral music await us today and tomorrow.

 We get "a night at the opera" this evening and orchestrea music tomorrow/

July 19, 2025

Here's WCRB's description: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2025-04-23/puccinis-tosca-live-from-tanglewood 

Saturday, July 19, 2025
8:00 PM

Andris Nelsons, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and a cast of phenomenal singers bring Puccini’s operatic tale of love and treachery, “Tosca,” to the Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood. Floria Tosca, driven by jealousy and love, struggles to save her lover, painter Mario Cavaradossi, from the sadistic chief of police, Baron Scarpia.

Andris Nelsons, conductor
Kristine Opolais, soprano (Tosca)
SeokJong Baek, tenor (Cavaradossi)
Bryn Terfel, baritone (Scarpia)
Patrick Carfizzi, bass-baritone (Sacristan)
Neal Ferreira, tenor (Spoletta)
Tanglewood Festival Chorus
 James Burton, conductor

Giacomo PUCCINI Tosca

For more information on Tanglewood concerts, visit the BSO box office.

The BSO's performance detail page https://www.bso.org/events/bso-july-19-puccini-tosca?performance=2025-07-19-20%3A00 doesn't tell us much more, but it does have a link to the program notes as well as to performer bios:

Sat, Jul 19, 2025 8:00pm EDT 

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Boston Symphony OrchestraAndris Nelsons, ConductorKristine Opolais, soprano (Tosca)SeokJong Baek, tenor (Cavaradossi)Bryn Terfel, baritone (Scarpia)Morris Robinson, bass (Angelotti)Patrick Carfizzi, bass-baritone (Sacristan)Nicholas Newton, bass-baritone (Sciarrone/The Jailer)Neal Ferreira, tenor (Spoletta)Ari Davis, boy soprano (Shepard Boy)Tanglewood Festival ChorusJames Burton, BSO Choral Director and Conductor of the Tanglewood Festival ChorusBoston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists’ Chorus

PUCCINI Tosca

Concert performance; sung in Italian with English supertitles. Please note that the onstage drama of Tosca features rifles and a starter pistol that will be fired in Act III.

The opera has its dramatic moments. If you can find a libretto, it might be useful.

July 19, 2025

There will be some discrepancies between what WCRB tells us and what we see in the BSO page because the piano soloist soesn't want his performance broadcast. Here's what 'CRB says:

Sunday, July 20, 2025
7:00 PM

Boston Symphony Music Director Andris Nelsons leads the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra in two masterpieces that highlight the virtuosity and expressive range of the young professionals of the TMC, starting with the Symphony No. 2 by Brahms, recorded on July 7, followed by Hector Berlioz’s musical depiction of all-consuming, obsessive love, Symphonie fantastique.

Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Yiran Zhao, conductor (Smetana)

Johannes BRAHMS Symphony No. 2
Bedrich SMETANA Vltava (The Moldau)
Hector BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique

Yuja Wang's performance of Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2 is not available for broadcast at the soloist's request.

Although the evening broadcast will differ from the live show in the afternoon, the program detail page https://www.bso.org/events/july-20-tmco-yuja-wang?performance=2025-07-20-14%3A30 at least gives acxces to the program notes for the Berlioz. Here's the url for the July 7 program detail page https://www.bso.org/events/july-7-twd-music-ctr-orch?performance=2025-07-07-20:00 

Note that the orchestra is the lTanglewood Festival Orchestra, the students who are in the summer pprogram at Tanglewood. They're quite good, of course.

So it may seem a bit confusing, but it's all good music.

Saturday brings French composition, as WCRB notes: