Classical Music
April is an unusually excellent month for Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts — a promisng match up of programs and conductors.
Chameleon Arts Ensemble’s program, “into unison with romantic spirit,” contained more rarities than many chamber music groups perform in a season.
The concert’s other purely orchestral work, Mendelssohn’s “Scottish” Symphony (no. 3), came after intermission and offered Mr. Valcuha the opportunity to demonstrate his command of large-scale symphonic structure. Let’s just say he flexed some pretty impressive muscle.
Although there is room for improvement, the singers engage each other, as well as the orchestra, with vigor and skill, making for a satisfying “Snegurochka” in Russian.
WAM’s Chamber Music Series is a model for what chamber music performance ought to be: excellent musicians performing in a small space with a rather informal air to the proceedings.
Section by section, Cantata Singers & Ensemble are as good as choral groups get, which in this town of dozens of choruses, says quite a lot.
Ms. Son’s performance of Debussy’s Preludes nos. 3 – 8, while mostly note-perfect, was marked by a tentativeness that kept any of them from really blossoming.
When the jazz composer is the soloist, which is usually the case, he or she ironically revives one of the most venerable traditions in classical music.
This month I am simply listing concerts I expect will be great. My pick of the month is the Boston debut of a new Flute, Viola, and Harp trio, starring instrumental superstars Marina Piccinini, Kim Kashkashian, and Sivan Magen.
The Boston Philharmonic Orchestra handled Lutosławski’s aleatoric textures with confidence, though the all-important brass interruptions felt more hesitant than decisive, making the work’s narrative quality rather episodic as opposed to smoothly flowing.
Arts Commentary: Boffo Box Office — Cultural Bust