BSO/Classical New England — 2021/09/11

 In observance of 9/11 WCRB is rebroadcasting a performance of Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony.

Here's what they say:

In an encore broadcast from 2018, and in memory of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Music Director Andris Nelsons leads the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and soloists in Mahler's Symphony No. 2. Also, BSO Choral Director James Burton conducts the TFC in Einfelde's "Lux aeterna," Saturday evening at 8pm.

Andris Nelsons and James Burton, conductors
Ying Fang, soprano
Bernarda Fink, mezzo-soprano
Tanglewood Festival Chorus

Maija EINFELDE Lux aeterna, for unaccompanied chorus
MAHLER Symphony No. 2, Resurrection

Encore broadcast from Saturday, October 27, 2018

Here's what I wrote back then:

This week's concert begins with Lux Æterna, by Maija Einfelde,conducted by James Burton, the conductor of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. That brief work is followed by Mahler's massive Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection," conducted by Music Director Andris Nelsons.The BSO's [performance] detail page has the usual links to further information. It also has this blurb about the concert:

BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons conducts Mahler's all-embracing ninety-minute Symphony No. 2, Resurrection, featuring the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, along with Chinese soprano Ying Fang and Argentine-born mezzo-soprano Bernarda Fink. The fourth movement is a setting of "Urlicht," a poem from Des Knaben Wunderhorn, a source of texts for many of Mahler's songs, and the vast finale includes a setting for chorus and soprano of verses from Klopstock's poem "Resurrection." James Burton will conduct Maija's Einfelde's Lux aeterna, for mixed chorus, the first of two Latvian works performed this year to mark the centenary of the country's independence.

Reviews are in. The reviewer in the Globe gave a decidedly critical review of the performance of both works, but the reviewer for the Boston Musical Intelligencer was happy with the result. It wasn't part of my subscriptions, so I can't settle the disagreement.

You can hear the show beginning at 8:00 p.m., EDST, on air or on line via WCRB. …

If it were not being given this evening in connection with the anniversary, I'd say for me Mahler is okay but not must listen music. Perhaps you might want to listen because of the occasion even if Mahler isn't your favorite composer, but I wouldn't blame anyone who wants to do something else (9/11 related or not) at that time.

BSO/Classical New England — 2020/04/11

I'm pleased that WCRB is recognizing Good Friday and Easter in their Boston Symphony programming. Last evening, Good Friday, they gave the concert of March 2, 2019. It was a performance of the massive "Stabat Mater" by Antonin Dvořák (preceded by "Nimrod" from Elgar's Enigma Variations, in memory of André Previn, who had died on Thursday). This evening they will give us"Lux æterna" by Maija Einfelde and Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony (Symphony No. 2) originally performed on October 27, 2018.

The BSO performance detail page gives the following detail about the performance, along with the usual links:

BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons conducts Mahler's all-embracing ninety-minute Symphony No. 2, Resurrection, featuring the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, along with Chinese soprano Ying Fang and Argentine-born mezzo-soprano Bernarda Fink. The fourth movement is a setting of "Urlicht," a poem from Des Knaben Wunderhorn, a source of texts for many of Mahler's songs, and the vast finale includes a setting for chorus and soprano of verses from Klopstock's poem "Resurrection." James Burton will conduct Maija's Einfelde's Lux aeterna, for mixed chorus, the first of two Latvian works performed this year to mark the centenary of the country's independence. 

Please note there will be no intermission for these performances.

(Some emphasis added.)

I posted about it at the time and noted that the Intelligencer liked the performance on Thursday but the Globe didn't. I hadn't heard it, so I'm expressing no opinion. This time around, I may be watching the Easter Vigil from the cathedral in Boston.* If so, I won't hear the concert, but if you're free at 8:00 EDST, you might find it worthwhile. As always, it's on WCRB.

*Then again, I may watch the Vatican at 3:00 and be free for the concert until my brother calls from Japan at 9:00.

BSO/Classical New England — 2019/05/25

The encore broadcast this week is from the third week of last season at Symphony Hall — October 27, 2018. My post at the time includes the synopsis from the orchestra's performance detail page

BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons conducts Mahler's all-embracing ninety-minute Symphony No. 2, Resurrection, featuring the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, along with Chinese soprano Ying Fang and Argentine-born mezzo-soprano Bernarda Fink. The fourth movement is a setting of "Urlicht," a poem from Des Knaben Wunderhorn, a source of texts for many of Mahler's songs, and the vast finale includes a setting for chorus and soprano of verses from Klopstock's poem "Resurrection." James Burton will conduct Maija's Einfelde's Lux aeterna, for mixed chorus, the first of two Latvian works performed this year to mark the centenary of the country's independence. 

Please note there will be no intermission for these performances.

as well as links to the usual reviews.
(Emphasis in original.)

Mahler's symphonies from this time are pretty easy to take, so I recommend listening to this one. I don't have a clear recollection of the Einfelde piece that opened the concert, but I vaguely recall it as not bad. As always, tune in to WCRB at 8:00 p.m. this evening and/or Monday, June 3.

BSO — 2018/10/27

This week's concert begins with Lux Æterna, by Maija Einfelde, conducted by James Burton, the conductor of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. That brief work is followed by Mahler's massive Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection," conducted by Music Director Andris Nelsons. The BSO's program detail page has the usual links to further information. It also has this blurb about the concert:

BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons conducts Mahler's all-embracing ninety-minute Symphony No. 2, Resurrection, featuring the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, along with Chinese soprano Ying Fang and Argentine-born mezzo-soprano Bernarda Fink. The fourth movement is a setting of "Urlicht," a poem from Des Knaben Wunderhorn, a source of texts for many of Mahler's songs, and the vast finale includes a setting for chorus and soprano of verses from Klopstock's poem "Resurrection." James Burton will conduct Maija's Einfelde's Lux aeterna, for mixed chorus, the first of two Latvian works performed this year to mark the centenary of the country's independence.

Reviews are in. The reviewer in the Globe gave a decidedly critical review of the performance of both works, but the reviewer for the Boston Musical Intelligencer was happy with the result. It wasn't part of my subscriptions, so I can't settle the disagreement.

You can hear the show beginning at 8:00 p.m., EDST, on air or on line via WCRB. If you have to listen to the Red Sox in Game 4 of the World Series at that time, you can catch the rebroadcast/stream on Monday, Nov. 5, also at 8:00 p.m.