Jonathan Blumhofer

Concert Review: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at Symphony Hall

November 13, 2016
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The biggest musical takeaway was the sheer brilliance of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra’s playing, which is the gold standard.

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Concert Review: Thomas Adès conducts Britten, Sibelius, and Adès

November 7, 2016
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These BSO concerts, conducted by Thomas Adès, were the culminating event in his impressive first season.

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Concert Review: Grand Harmonie’s Gods and Mortals

November 7, 2016
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GH’s best playing of the day was edgy: a little rough around the edges, yes, but still punchy and vibrant.

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Concert Preview: Grand Harmonie’s “Gods and Mortals”

November 4, 2016
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“Playing these standard pieces on period instruments is a little bit like reading a novel or poem in its original language.”

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CD Reviews: Tchaikovsky’s Symphony no. 1 and Mozart Violin Concertos plus Wagner Overtures & Preludes

October 26, 2016
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For recorded sound, for brilliance of orchestral execution, and for interpretive concept, Janowski is one of the 21st century’s best Wagnerians.

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Concert Review: Boston Philharmonic plays Auerbach, Rachmaninoff, and Tchaikovsky

October 24, 2016
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Conductor Benjamin Zander and his band were at their collective best performing Tchaikovsky’s Symphony no. 6.

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Book Review: The Joy and Glory of Virgil Thomson’s “The State of Music & Other Writings”

October 12, 2016
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The Library of America volumes of Virgil Thomson’s writings will help reestablish him as one of the 20th century’s preeminent musical scribes.

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Concert Review: Boston Modern Orchestra Project’s “American Masters”

October 11, 2016
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The BMOP’s opening concert featured the group succeeding at an important part of its mission: to perform unfairly overlooked American music.

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Concert Review: Boston Symphony plays Widmann and Brahms at Symphony Hall

October 7, 2016
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The intellectual and emotional intelligence of the docket stands as a conspicuous example of exemplary programmatic creativity.

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Rethinking the Repertoire #10 — Mark-Anthony Turnage’s “Frieze”

October 4, 2016
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Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Frieze is, without a doubt, one of the major symphonic scores of our century.

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