Jonathan Blumhofer
A busy month that includes a pair of appearances by composer/conductor Oliver Knussen, turns by stellar pianists Evgeny Kissin and Lars Vogt. Also, the final concert this season in the admirable Music for Food Series.
Read MoreBoston Musica Viva presented an invigorating (if early) conclusion to the season, providing an ear-catching snapshot of chamber music written in the last thirty-plus years.
Read MoreDaniele Gatti’s management of the orchestra – the unfolding of melodic lines and instrumental textures – was particularly noteworthy, matched here with a keen sensitivity to the music’s expressive detail: this was a riveting performance.
Read MoreThe winter doldrums may be upon us, but the first few months of 2013 have been anything but uninteresting when it comes to releases from Harmonia Mundi (HM).
Read MoreThis album manages to impressively realize the depth and versatility of John Adams’s music for string quartet. It also announces the arrival of a phenomenal ensemble that plays with a mix of maturity, adventure, and musical insight: this is a group to follow closely and cheer.
Read MoreMarch is a month to hear amazing pianists – Jeremy Denk, George Li, Charlie Albright, Jeffrey Swann, Wu Han, and Lydia Artymiw – as well as inspiring choruses and unusual chamber music
Read MoreHandel and Haydn artistic director Harry Christophers placed a composer who is familiar, but not always the focus of attention, front and center, and, in the process, reminded us just how good a musician Haydn was.
Read MoreIn the slow third movement, Mr. Zander, the BPO, and the Symphony seemed to really be in sync: the music breathed, sighed, sang, and unfolded at a natural pace that brought out the best in everybody.
Read MoreIn an effort to give the proceedings an intimate, salon feel, the Symphony Hall stage was dotted with a couple of potted plants, three armchairs, and a pair of music stands; the cavernous environ of the space was still very much present, but one appreciated the effort to minimize it, even if only partially successful.
Read MoreJohn Adams’s Chamber Symphony brought out the best in Mr. Lewis as a conductor: it was fun watching him maneuver through the score’s intricate rhythmic patterns and his confidence was reflected by the Ensemble in a brash, involved reading of a far-too-little-heard (in these parts, at least) piece.
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