Jonathan Blumhofer
A thoughtfully curated program uncovers surprising connections between George Gershwin and Vienna’s early 20th-century avant-garde.
With Carlos Simon’s “Four Black American Dances,” the Pittsburgh Symphony offers a thoughtful and resonant recontextualization of Dvořák’s Ninth.
Andris Nelsons and the Vienna Philharmonic deliver a polished but curiously inert reading of a symphonic powerhouse.
A polished, detail-rich account of two lyrical concertos, distinguished more by clarity and refinement than by risk or fire.
Guitarist Aaron Larget-Caplan’s ambitious survey reframes the American story through guitar, poetry, and protest.
Orchestral splendor meets interpretive risk in two Mahler releases.
Early promise, enduring vision, and a lifetime of well-timed reinvention.
Anne-Sophie Mutter’s latest album sidesteps easy binaries, pairing Widmann’s mercurial Beethoven study with works by Chin, Darvishi, and Adès in performances of striking authority.
This substantial collection of the writings of classical music critic Michael Steinberg evokes a time when critics educated, provoked, and helped build cultural life.
Arts Commentary: The Kennedy Center and the Boston Symphony Orchestra — A Tale of Two Crises
A court-ordered reset in Washington and a self-inflicted rupture in Boston expose deeper failures of leadership, transparency, and trust.
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