BSO — 2023/11/11

 Sorry I missed last week.

Here's WCRB's synopsis of this week's concert:

Saturday, November 11, 2023
8:00pm

Encore broadcast on Monday, November 20

Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu leads the BSO in Peter Lieberson’s Drala, inspired by the Tibetan Buddhist term describing life-source, as well as Schumann’s brooding and majestic Symphony No. 4. Leonidas Kavakos returns to Symphony Hall to perform Alban Berg’s final finished piece, the Violin Concerto, written in response to the death of Alma Mahler's daughter.

Hannu Lintu, conductor
Leonidas Kavakos, violin

Peter LIEBERSON Drala
Alban BERG Violin Concerto
Robert SCHUMANN Symphony No. 4

Leonidas Kavakos appears courtesy of Sony Classical, a label of Sony Music Entertainment

In a preview conversation, Hannu Lintu describes the connections among the three pieces on this program, the story behind Berg's Violin Concerto, with its dedication to Manon Gropius and the meaning behind the Bach chorale embedded in its last movement, and why his Finnish musical background draws him to Schumann's Fourth Symphony. To listen, use the player above, and read the transcript below.

Meanwhile, the BSO's performance detail page gives us this (along with links to the program notes):

Hannu Lintu, conductor 
Leonidas Kavakos, violin 

LIEBERSON Drala
BERG Violin Concerto
Intermission
SCHUMANN Symphony No. 4

How do you see the world? Drala, a BSO commission by American composer Peter Lieberson, premiered in 1986 and takes its title from a Tibetan Buddhist term. The word “drala” has many meanings, one of which relates to deepening and expanding one’s perception of the world. Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu leads the BSO and frequent guest Leonidas Kavakos in Alban Berg’s final finished piece; quoting poignantly from Bach, this haunting 1935 Violin Concerto was written in response to the death of a friend’s daughter. In closing, Robert Schumann’s majestic Symphony No. 4, which draws inspiration from Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony in its use of recurring musical themes to tie together the work’s four movements.

The Globe reviewer didn't like the first piece but seems to have enjoyed the rest.

The Intelligencer's reviewer loved the first piece, but was unhappy with the Schumann.

Based on all that, I'm not expecting to enjoy "Drala." In general, I don't care for Berg, but the violin concerto may be less bad than some of his stuff. So for me, the best part will come after intermission, with the Schumann symphony. See what you think, f you listen.

BSO/Classical New England — 2023/10/28

 The BSO isn't at Symphony Hall this week, so WCRB is giving us an "encore broadcast" of a concert from last April. Herewith the particulars as they give them:

Saturday, October 28th, 2023
8:00pm

In an encore broadcast, BSO Assistant Conductor Earl Lee conducts Unsuk Chin’s powerful tribute to Beethoven, subito con forza, and Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 2, as well as Mozart’s brooding Piano Concerto No. 20 featuring soloist Eric Lu in his Boston Symphony debut.

Earl Lee, conductor
Eric Lu, piano

Unsuk CHIN subito con forza
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 20, K. 466
Robert SCHUMANN Symphony No. 2

This concert was originally broadcasted on April 8th, 2023 is no longer available on demand.

Hear a preview with conductor Earl Lee using the audio player above, and read the transcript below.

TRANSCRIPT:

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall with Earl Lee, Boston Symphony Assistant Conductor. Earl,

For whatever reason, I failed to post about it back in April. Fortunately, the BSO performance detail page for the concert is still available, with active links to the program notes and the following general blurb:

BSO Assistant Conductor Earl Lee, making his full-program Symphony Hall debut, is joined by acclaimed young Chinese American pianist Eric Lu for Wolfgang Mozart’s passionate, stormy D minor piano concerto. The title of South Korean-born composer Unsuk Chin’s brief, exciting concert opener translates as "suddenly, with power." Composed during one of his periods of chronic depression, Robert Schumann’s Second Symphony is nevertheless wonderfully affirmative and optimistic in character.

Eric Lu’s performance Friday afternoon is supported by the May and Dan Pierce Guest Artist Fund.

---

Earl Lee, conductor
Eric Lu, piano

Unsuk CHIN subito con forza
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K.466
Intermission
SCHUMANN Symphony No. 2

The review in the Globe is favorable; I can't find one in the Intelligencer.

It seems that if this isn't quite up to the level of "must listen," you could certainly do worse.

BBSO — 2023/10/21

 This is one you won't want to miss. Here's how WCRB describes it:

Saturday, October 21, 2023
8:00pm

Encore broadcast on Monday, October 30

Andris Nelsons leads the BSO in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 with soloist Paul Lewis. This heroic piece is paired with Hannah Kendall’s The Spark Catchers, a new work inspired by imagery from Lemn Sissay’s poem by the same name, and James Lee III’s Freedom’s Genuine Dawn, a BSO co-commission with texts by the 19th-century African-American orator and activist Frederick Douglass read by narrator Thomas Warfield.

Andris Nelsons, conductor 
Paul Lewis, piano
Thomas Warfield, narrator

Hannah KENDALL The Spark Catchers
James LEE III Freedom’s Genuine Dawn, for narrator and orchestra (BSO co-commission)
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5, Emperor

Read Lemn Sissay's 2017 poem "The Spark Catchers" here.

Read the entire text of "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" from PBS and learn more about the speech from the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Using the tabs below, you can hear composer James Lee III describe the genesis of Freedom's Genuine Dawn as well as Paul Lewis describe the journey of performing all five of Beethoven's Piano Concertos. Transcripts included below.

James Lee III InterviewPaul Lewis Interview

Of course, the major attraction comes after the intermission, Beethoven's Fifth Piano Concerty, nicknamed "Emperor." It ranks amount my faavorite pieces ever. But the first part of the concert is also intriguing. I want to hear "Freedom's Genuine Dawn. From the description in the program notes, it should be worth heariing. I heard "The Spark Catchers" on Friday afternoon along with Beethoven's No. 2 and 4 on Friday afternoon. It's ho-hum — definitely tolerable but, on first hearing, not memorable. On balance, I'd say it's worth sitting through to get to the rest of the show.

The program notes, for more information about the pieces, are linked on the BSO's own performance detail page, which begins with this description of the concert:

Andris Nelsons, conductor
Paul Lewis, piano 
Thomas Warfield, narrator 

Hannah KENDALL The Spark Catchers 
James LEE III Freedom’s Genuine Dawn, for narrator and orchestra (Co-commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons, Music Director, through the generous support of the New Works Fund established by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.)
Intermission
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5, Emperor

English pianist Paul Lewis takes us on a musical and stylistic adventure through all five of Beethoven’s piano concertos over three concerts. These performances are paired with two poetic journeys: Hannah Kendall’s The Spark Catchers, inspired by imagery from Lemn Sissay’s poem by the same name; and James Lee III’s Freedom’s Genuine Dawn, a BSO co-commission set with texts by the seminal 19th-century African American orator and activist Frederick Douglass.

The review in the Intelligencer gives some idea of what to expect in "The Spark Catchers." Since it is of the Thursday concert, it has nothing about the rest of the program. So far, there is no review in the Globe.

I'll be going out to my club for dinner. I want to try the veal chop which is a special this week. But I definitely plan to hear the rebroadcast on Monday October 30. I recommend listening this evening if you're free, and again or for the first time on the 30th.

BSO — 2023/10/14

It looks like an unusual concert this evening. WCRB tells us:

Saturday, October 14, 2023
8:00pm

Encore broadcast on Monday, October 23

Yo-Yo Ma brings his unsurpassed passion to both of Shostakovich’s powerfully emotional cello concertos as part of the BSO’s multi-season survey of Shostakovich’s symphonies and concertos, and Haydn’s Symphony No. 22, nicknamed Philosopher, is paired with Iman Habibi’s moving Zhiân in a program led by Music Director Andris Nelsons.

Andris Nelsons, conductor 
Yo-Yo Ma, cello 

Joseph HAYDN Symphony No. 22, Philosopher 
Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No. 2
Iman HABIBI Zhiân (BSO commission)
SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No. 1

Listen to The World's interview with Iman Habibi from earlier this year and learn the meaning behind Zhiân.

The BSO performance detail page puts it this way:

Andris Nelsons, conductor 
Yo-Yo Ma, cello 

HAYDN Symphony No. 22, Philosopher 
SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No. 2
Intermission
Iman HABIBI Zhiân (Commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons, Music Director, through the generous support of the New Works Fund established by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.)
SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No. 1

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma brings his unsurpassed skill and passion to both of Shostakovich’s powerful cello concertos, originally written for the legendary Mstislav Rostropovich. These performances are part of the BSO’s multi-season survey of Shostakovich’s symphonies and concertos. Haydn’s stately Symphony No. 22, nicknamed Philosopher, pairs with Iman Habibi’s Zhiân, a BSO commission, to round out the evening. 

Saturday’s concert is supported by Lloyd Axelrod, M.D.

The Friday Preview on October 13 at 12:15pm will be hosted by author and Northeastern emeritus professor Harlow Robinson with composer Iman Habibi. Admission included with ticket.

As usual, there are links to the program notes, which could be interesting. You may also get some idea about the music from the review in the Intelligencer. The Globe also has a generally favorable review, but questions the choice of Haydn to open the concert.

In general, I don't care for Shostakovich, and I don't hope for much from Zhiân. OTOH, the Haydn symphony is very enjoyable. If it were just a little earlier, I might skip it this evening and go to my club for dinner and plan to catch the rebroadcats on the 23rd. Anyway, I recommend the Haydn.

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.

BSO/Classical New England — 2023/09/30

 While we wait for the BSO to return to Symphony Hall, WCRB gives us another "encore broadcast," this time from last February:

Saturday, September 30th, 2023
8:00pm

In an encore broadcast, British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason makes his Boston Symphony debut with Ernest Bloch’s Schelomo, and Andris Nelsons conducts the world premiere of Carlos Simon’s Four Black American Dances and Beethoven’s poetic Symphony No. 7.

Andris Nelsons, conductor
Sheku Kanneh-Mason, cello

Carlos SIMON Four Black American Dances (world premiere)
Ernest BLOCH Schelomo: Rhapsodie hébraïque, for cello and orchestra
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7

This concert was originally broadcast on February 11th, 2023 and is no longer available on demand.

For information about Carlos Simon's Requiem for the Enslaved, visit Hub New Music.

For information about Sheku Kanneh-Mason's Song, visit Decca.

Listen to a preview of Bloch's Schelomo with Sheku Kanneh-Mason with the audio player above, and read the transcript below.

TRANSCRIPT:

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall with Sheku Kanneh-Mason,

I posted about it at the time, and I'm confident the links to the BSO page and the reviews still work. Since I hadn't heard the conce4rt previously, I couldn't give any impressions of my own, so those links are your best source for background information. My recollection is that I found it pleasant enough to listen to when I got to hear it. So you might as well listen this evening.

BSO/Classical New England — 2023/09/23

 WCRB https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2022-11-10/the-symphony-hall-debuts-of-canellakis-and-benedetti-with-the-bso gives us another encore concert broadcast while the BSO is away and we wait for the Symphony Hall season to begin:

Saturday, September 23rd, 2023
8:00 PM

In an encore broadcast, Karina Canellakis takes up her baton at Symphony Hall for the very first time in a folk-inspired Boston Symphony program that features Dvořák’s The Wood Dove and Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra, and Nicola Benedetti makes her BSO debut with Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto No. 2.

Karina Canellakis, conductor
Nicola Benedetti, violin

Anton DVOŘÁK The Wood Dove
Karol SZYMANOWSKI Violin Concerto No. 2
Witold LUTOSŁAWSKI Concerto for Orchestra

This concert was originally broadcast on January 21st, 2023 and is no longer available on demand.

Hear a preview of the program with Karina Canellakis in the audio player above, and read the transcript below:

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT:

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall with Karina Canellakis, who is here to conduct the Boston Symphony for the first time in this space, though, Karina, you have conducted the BSO a couple of times in the past. Thanks for a little bit of your time today.

I posted about back in January, and although I wasn't enthusiastic about it, the good reviews led me to recommend listening. I have no reason to change that. I presume the links in my post still work.

 Enjoy.

BSO/Classical New England — 2023/09/16

 Return with us now to the thrilling days of earlier this year. Garrick Ohlsson rides again in an encore broadcast of the January 14 concert. WCRB tells us more:

Saturday, September 16th, 2023
8:00 PM

In an encore broadcast, Alan Gilbert conducts the Boston Symphony in a program that includes Dvořák’s glittering Carnival Overture and the world premiere of Justin Dello Joio’s Piano Concerto, Oceans Apart, with soloist Garrick Ohlsson.

Alan Gilbert, conductor
Garrick Ohlsson, piano

Lili BOULANGER D’un Matin de Printemps
Wilhelm STENHAMMAR Serenade
Justin DELLO JOIO Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, Oceans Apart (world premiere)
Antonín DVOŘÁK Carnival Overture

This concert was originally broadcast on January 14th, 2023 and is no longer available on demand.

To hear a preview of the program with conductor Alan Gilbert, listen with the audio player above and read the transcript in the tab below. To hear an interview with pianist Garrick Ohlsson, listen with the audio player below and read the transcript in the tab below:

Garrick Ohlsson InterviewAlan Gilbert Interview

This interviews with the soloist and conductor are linked on the station's page.

My post about it last January gives links to reviews and the BSO performance detail page, which could be good reading before or during the show. As I mentioned, I wasn't there for the earlier performance, and frankly I don't remember anything about it from whatever I colud hear broadcast. OTOH the Carnival Overture is pretty good. So you might as well listen in and see how you like it all.

BSO/Classical New England — 2023/09/09

 This week's "encore concert" is a single work. WCRB tells us:

Saturday, September 9th, 2022
8:00 PM

In an encore broadcast, the Boston Symphony scales the depth and breadth of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 led by Music Director Andris Nelsons.

Andris Nelsons, conductor

Gustav MAHLER Symphony No. 6

This concert was originally broadcast on October 22nd, 2022 and is no longer available on demand.

Andris Nelsons talks with CRB's Brian McCreath about Mahler's Sixth Symphony, how its emotional power is different from the Fifth Symphony, and how his interpretation of the piece has changed over the years. Also, Nelsons talks about the BSO's upcoming tour to Japan, which include, coincidentally two pieces with major roles for ... cowbells (Mahler's Sixth Symphony and Strauss's Alpine Symphony). To listen, use the audio player above, and read the transcript below.

TRANSCRIPT:

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall with Andris Nelsons. And Andris, it's great to see you again and great to hear Mahler's Sixth Symphony. One of the the pieces that's a remarkable piece of music, but maybe, perhaps, less understood by audiences than other symphonies by Mahler. I'm curious about what draws you to Mahler's Sixth Symphony.

If you go to the WCRB page you have the option of listening to the interview with Maestro Nelsons. If you have the time before the concert, that might be better than reading the transcript because, as I see in the transcript, there are several places where he sings a bit of the music to show what he's talking about.

I posted quite favorably about my experience hearing it two days earlier. The links in my post to the BSO page and the reviews are probably still working, so you can avail yourself of them to prepare for the show. I hope you'll enjoy it if you listen.

BSO/Classical New England — 2023/09/02

 The "encore broadcasts" continue. This week we get a chance to hear the concert of November 26, 2022. Here's the description from WCRB:

In an encore broadcast, BSO Assistant Conductor Anna Rakitina conducts the suite from Elena Langer’s Figaro Gets a Divorce and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, and Inon Barnatan is the soloist in the crown-jewel of Rachmaninoff’s works, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

Anna Rakitina, conductor
Inon Barnatan, piano

Elena LANGER Figaro Gets a Divorce Suite
Sergei RACHMANINOFF Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Modest MUSSORGSKY Pictures at an Exhibition (orch. Ravel)

This concert was originally broadcast on November 26th, 2022 and is no longer available on demand.

In a conversation with CRB's Brian McCreath, pianist Inon Barnatan describes his love for Rachmaninoff's music, how the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is unique among the composer's works for piano, and what he's learned as Music Director of the La Jolla SummerFest. To listen, use the player above, and read the transcript below.

TRANSCRIPT:

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall with Inon Barnatan, who is back with the BSO for the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, one of my favorite pieces by Rachmaninoff, and so, Inon, thanks a lot for your

I wrote about it at the time, and the links in my post still work, so you can go there to read the review in the Intelligencer — unimpressed by the Langer, enthusiastic for the Rachmaninoff, and finding fault with the Mussorgsky. You can also see the program notes which are available at the BSO's performance detail page. The explanation of the pictures might make the Mussorgsky more understandable. The Globe ended up publishing a favorable review a few days after I posted.

So there you have it: two familiar pieces, one very well performed, after a newish item that's no great shucks. If my brother weren't going to call at the time, I'd be tempted to listen to the Rachmaninoff "Rhapsody," and follow the Red Sox game before and after that, but I don't think it'd be a big mistake to listen to the wole thing.