Jonathan Blumhofer

Arts Interview: Tim Page on the “Virgil Thomson: Music Chronicles, 1940-1954”

December 11, 2014
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Tim Page on a generous sampling of Virgil Thomson’s best music criticism – trenchant, outspoken, oftentimes delightfully clever, and always assured.

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Classical Music CD Review: “Masterpieces in Miniature” (SFS Media)

November 22, 2014
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The conceit of this disc is both nostalgic and old-fashioned.

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Opera Review: Boston Lyric Opera’s Powerful “Love Potion”

November 21, 2014
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With its Opera Annex productions – presenting unfamiliar operas in unconventional performance spaces – Boston Lyric Opera really seems to have found its niche.

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Concert Review: Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall

November 18, 2014
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Under Michael Tilson Thomas’s leadership, the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra’s sound has been refined and tightened; its repertoire has grown to embrace American music of all stripes.

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Fuse Concert Review: Håkan Hardenberger and Andris Nelsons at Symphony Hall

November 17, 2014
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Saturday’s attendance hopefully warms the hearts of the BSO’s management. Not only was the house very full, but the assembly also included a healthy proportion of younger heads.

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Concert Review: New England Philharmonic’s “Shall We Dance?”

October 27, 2014
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Quibbles about some characteristics of the new pieces aside, hats off to Richard Pittman and the New England Philharmonic for daring to present a program like this..

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Music Commentary: “I’ve neither seen nor heard it, but I don’t like it. (And neither should you.)”: “The Death of Klinghoffer” Meets the Know-Nothing Protest

October 23, 2014
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What we seem to have here is one of the glories of our democracy in action: the blind leading the oblivious; aping distortions and downright falsehoods about the opera.

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Classical Concert Review: Thierry Fischer Conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra

October 22, 2014
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As they often do in repertoire that doesn’t turn up too frequently, the orchestra responded to the music with heightened sensitivity and attention to detail.

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Concert Review: Boston Modern Orchestra Project’s Surround Sound at Jordan Hall

October 15, 2014
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The orchestral playing, a couple moments of questionable intonation notwithstanding, was commanding and, at times, exhilarating.

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Concert Review: Andris Nelsons conducts Beethoven, Bartók, and Tchaikovsky

October 2, 2014
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The BSO played with palpable enthusiasm. Andris Nelsons conducted with characteristic energy. There was, by the end of the evening, certainly, quite a bit about which to be happy.

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