Music
Railroad Rhythms is one of the year’s delights: unexpected, well played, and thoroughly charming. Theodore Kuchar is a conductor who seems to know precious few limitations; Eduard Strauss, despite his champions, turns out to have been a competent writer of music for the day.
Once again, drummer Ralph Peterson pays fine homage to Art Blakey’s tradition of joyous, hard-edged bashing jazz.
Play It Loud is porn for musicians and fans who fetishize the tools of the trade.
Arguably, the strongest entry in the BSO’s complete Shostakovich symphony cycle thus far; Esa-Pekka Salonen’s 2016 Cello Concerto is emotionally direct and, at times, simply gorgeous; the resurgence of interest in the music of Boston-educated composer Florence Price is a good thing.
Charles Villiers Stanford’s bold Mass Via victrix is finally heard; Pablo Heras-Casado wraps up his survey of the Mendelssohn symphonies in high style; Anna Shelest completes her performance of Anton Rubinstein piano concertos.
It is enormous fun to hear how this group of veterans try to think in new ways — as they do throughout this engaging release.
Markus Maskuniitty’s solo debut recording is stunning, Howard Shelley and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra play Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto with zest, and this is one of the strongestNew Year’s Concerts of the decade from the Vienna Philharmonic.
Vince Mendoza’s colorful arrangements give us a welcome new way to appreciate Fred Hersch’s impressive creativity — his amply satisfying accomplishments as a composer.
“Since the late ‘60s I’ve been up and down the Northeast corridor, and Boston’s always one of our favorite stops.”
This month focuses on contemporary country-rap. It’s high time we take note of a fledgling genre on the verge of mass popularity.
Theater Commentary: Live Theater—An Incomparable Art Form