Jonathan Blumhofer
March 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
Handel 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.
In 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.
In 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.
John 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.
A strong month featuring performances from the celebrated Borromeo String Quartet, vocal group A Far Cry, and new music from Sound Icon.
Discovery Ensemble is already the local ensemble to watch for their brilliant programming and energized performances. Now add to that their commitment to educational outreach and Boston’s underserved communities.
Musical quibbles aside, the performances on both albums from Boston Modern Music Project’s in-house label, BMOP/sound, are top-notch.
To describe the contents of the CD “Hywel Davies” as trivial is to be generous.
The Worcester Chamber Music Society’s latest concert was inspired by an ambitious concept and it was played with conviction, but the performance was continuously dogged by problems with acoustics.
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