BSO — 2026/01/24

 This week the "E Pluribus Unum" series turns to music of John Williams, some from movies and some "serious." Here's how WCRB describes the program: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2026-01-24/the-bso-celebrates-john-williams-with-emanuel-ax-and-gil-shaham

Saturday, January 24, 2026
8:00 PM

To celebrate one of America’s greatest and most expansive composers, Andris Nelsons leads an all-John Williams program! Pianist Emanuel Ax performs the Boston premiere of Williams’s Piano Concerto, and violinist Gil Shaham is the soloist in TreeSong and the Theme from “Schindler’s List," part of a program that also includes music from “Catch Me if You Can” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”

Andris Nelsons, conductor
Emanuel Ax, piano
Gil Shaham, violin 

All-John WILLIAMS program
"Joy Ride" from Escapades
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
TreeSong, for violin and orchestra
Theme from Schindler’s List
Suite from Close Encounters of the Third Kind

The BSO program performance page is a bit more expansive, including links to performer bios but unfortunately none to program notes for the selections: https://www.bso.org/events/jan-22-25-john-williams-prog?performance=2026-01-24-20%3A00

Boston Symphony Orchestra Andris Nelsons, conductor Emanuel Ax, piano Gil Shaham, Violin All-John WILLIAMS program  “Joy Ride” from EscapadesPiano Concerto      intermissionTreeSong, for violin and orchestra Theme from Schindler’s ListSuite from Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Considered among the greatest film composers of all time, Boston Pops Conductor Laureate and longtime BSO family member John Williams is also known for his concert works. His new Piano Concerto, composed for Emanuel Ax, received its premiere at Tanglewood in summer 2025. Violinist Gil Shaham gave the world premiere of TreeSong with the BSO and Williams at Tanglewood in 2000; the piece was inspired by dawn redwood trees in Boston’s Public Garden and Arnold Arboretum. Shaham also plays the poignant Schindler’s Listtheme, and other music from Williams’s film scores begins and ends the program.

So far the Globe hasn't published a review. There is a fairly lengthy and favorable one in the Intelligencer. https://www.classical-scene.com/2026/01/23/williams-smiles/

Weather and other circumstance held me back from attending on Thursday or Friday, so I have no observations of my own to add. I'll be listening this evening, with particular interest in the piano concerto, although it should all be good.

Tanglewood — 2025/08/08-10

 A mix of the familiar,  the not-so-familiar, and the new is being presented tonight and Sunday, with two of the greatest string players of ouur time as soloists. In between, we can hear John Williams Film Night on Saturday. We turn once more to WCRB for the basics and the BSO page for fuller descriptions.

August 8, 2025

WCRB tells us: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2025-05-27/orozco-estrada-conducts-dvoraks-new-world-at-tanglewood

Friday, August 8, 2025
8:00 PM

Colombian conductor Andrés Orozco-Estrada, principal conductor of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra in Italy, makes his Tanglewood debut conducting Dvořák’s much-beloved Symphony No. 9, From the New World. The inimitable Joshua Bell, who has performed at Tanglewood every year since 1989, is the soloist in Lalo’s spirited Symphonie espagnole.

Andrés Orozco-Estrada, conductor
Joshua Bell, violin

Édouard LALO Symphonie espagnole
Antonín DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9, From the New World

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

Now for the link to the orchestra's performance detail page:

https://www.bso.org/events/bso-august-8-joshua-bell?performance=2025-08-08-20%3A00

There you find links to the program notes. Among other things they note that the melody of the slow movement of the Dvořák is the composer's own invention, not a Negro spiritual.

August 9, 2025

Again we look to WCRB for the basics, as well as an interview with the composer which should be interesting reading: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2025-05-27/lockhart-leads-the-pops-in-john-williams-film-night

Saturday, August 9, 2025
8:00 PM

A cherished Tanglewood tradition, John Williams’ Film Night returns with a fabulous program of film music highlights specially curated by Maestro Williams himself and featuring Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops. It’s a special evening of magical music that you won’t want to miss!

Boston Pops Orchestra
John Williams, curator
Keith Lockhart, conductor

Film Night!

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

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 with the audio player above, and follow the transcript below.

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

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.

Need I say more?

Here's the link to the performance detail page. There are no program notes for individual pieces, but you can find those for the performer bios.

https://www.bso.org/events/boston-pops-august-9?performance=2025-08-09-20%3A00

August 10, 2025

Sunday evening brings us the afternoon concert from Taanglewood, described here by WCRB: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2025-05-27/yo-yo-ma-samy-rachid-and-pepins-un-monde-nouveau-at-tanglewood

Sunday, August 10, 2025
7:00 PM

Following his highly acclaimed Tanglewood debut last summer, BSO Assistant Conductor Samy Rachid leads an exciting program featuring the American premiere of French composer Camille Pépin’s Un Monde nouveau, Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony, and Saint-Saëns’s Cello Concerto No. 1 with Yo-Yo Ma. It will be the first time that Ma performs this cello concerto at Tanglewood, the piece he performed with the Boston Pops in his 1971 Symphony Hall debut as a 15-year-old prodigy.

Samy Rachid, conductor
Yo-Yo Ma, cello

Camille PÉPIN Un Monde nouveau (American premiere)
Camille SAINT-SÄENS Cello Concerto No. 1
Felix MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 3, Scottish

I highly recommend going to the performance detail page https://www.bso.org/events/bso-august-10-yo-yo-ma?performance=2025-08-10-14%3A30 and following the link to the notes for Un monde nouveau. I wonder why they didn't program the New  World Symphony on the same evening. Of course the other program notes are also worthwhile.

It promises to be an enjoyable weekend.

Tanglewood — 2025/07/26-27

 There are two great evenings of music in store for us. (I'm sorry I missed last evening, but I had returned from several days away and it slipped my mind. If you checked it out without waiting for my preview, I'm sure you enjoyed the concert of music by Bach, Mahler, and Mendelssohn.)

July 26, 2025

This evening a world premiere awaits along with a well known symphony by Mahler.Here's WCRB's description: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2025-04-24/a-john-williams-world-premiere-with-emmanuel-ax-at-tanglewood

Saturday, July 26, 2025
8:00 PM

Music Director Andris Nelsons leads the BSO in the world premiere of John Williams’s Piano Concerto, inspired by three legendary jazz pianists and written for soloist Emanuel Ax, part of a program that also includes the epic musical journey of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1.

Andris Nelsons, conductor
Emanuel Ax, piano

John WILLIAMS Piano Concerto (world premiere)
Gustav MAHLER Symphony No. 1

To hear a preview of John Williams's Piano Concerto with Emanuel Ax, use the player above, and read the transcript below.

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

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at the Koussevitzky Music Shed with Emanuel Ax. And Manny, thank you so much for a little of your time today. I appreciate it.

Emanuel Ax It's my pleasure to be here

The interview is interesting.

At the BSO's performance detail page https://www.bso.org/events/bso-july-26-emanuel-ax?performance=2025-07-26-20%3A00 we are treated to this synopsis by Robert Kirzinger:

A major new work by John Williams, a full-fledged Concerto for Piano and Orchestra composed for and premiered by Emanuel Ax with Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, at Tanglewood—it speaks for itself. This warm coming-together of artists who have a deep connection with Tanglewood, its history, and its future can only be topped by the performance itself on Saturday evening in the Shed. In this brilliant, virtuoso concerto, Williams draws on his lifelong love of the piano and some of its most individual talents: its three movements pay homage to jazz greats Art Tatum, Bill Evans, and Oscar Peterson. The concerto shares the Saturday concert with Gustav Mahler’s powerful and lyrical Symphony No. 1. With its broad melodies, hints of birdsong, and its second-movement rustic dance, the symphony channels Mahler’s love of the outdoors and the countryside while also serving as a true orchestral showpiece. 

There are also full program notes for the piano concerto https://www.bso.org/works/john-williams-concerto-for-piano-and-orchestra and for the symphony https://www.bso.org/works/mahler-symphony-no-1-in-d .

It should be interesting to hear a new piece by John Williams.

July 27, 2025

As always the Sunday afternoon concert is broadcast for us on Sunday evening at 7:00, in WCRB's usual "In Concert" time slot. They describe it thus: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2025-04-24/lang-lang-and-the-bso-play-saint-saens-at-tanglewood

Sunday, July 27, 2025
7:00 PM

Lang Lang is the soloist in the beautifully romantic Piano Concerto No. 2 by Saint-Saëns in a program led by Andris Nelsons that also includes Gabriela Ortiz’s exuberant La Calaca, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, the Pastoral.

Andris Nelsons, conductor
Lang Lang, piano

Gabriela ORTIZ La Calaca, for string orchestra
Camille SAINT-SÄENS Piano Concerto No. 2

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6, Pastoral 

Again, the BSO performance detail page for the weekend has a synopsis by Robert Kirzinger, as follows:

Sunday’s concert features another outstanding pianist, Lang Lang, playing Camille Saint-Saëns’s scintillating Piano Concerto No. 2, one of the best known of the composer’s works. Saint-Saëns, a virtuoso pianist himself, played its premiere in Paris in December 1868. The concert opens with Mexican composer and 2025 Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music Director Gabriela Ortiz’s La Calaca, a hypnotically rhythmic, dancing work whose title refers to the stylized, music-loving skeleton figures of Day of the Dead celebrations. Beethoven’s sunny Pastoral Symphony—complete with birdsong, a country dance, and a brief (musical) summer storm—completes the program.

At the page for this concert we find he program notes for the Ortiz work https://www.bso.org/works/ortiz-la-calaca , for the concerto https://www.bso.org/works/piano-concerto-no-2-saint-saens , and for the symphony https://www.bso.org/works/beethoven-symphony-no-6-pastoral .

All in all, it should be a very enjoyable pair of concerts.

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.