Andris Nelsons
Through fresh new works and a welcome toss-up of pieces commissioned during Koussevitzky’s historic tenure, the BSO’s coming season will honor the fullness of the Russian-born conductor’s legacy.
If Andris Nelsons’s direction revealed one thing, it’s that violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and composer Thomas Adès make a stellar musical pairing.
Andris Nelsons has a fine feel for colorful musical canvases, a talent once again displayed in performances of Thierry Escaich’s Cello Concerto and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2.
Under the baton of Andris Nelsons, a listless Boston Symphony Orchestra delivered flat renditions of works by Shostakovich and Brahms.
Jessie Montgomery’s Rounds is a testament to her impressive compositional chops. Let’s have more from her here, and often.
This is a release that showcases many of Andris Nelsons’ strengths, including his strong sensitivity for instrumental colors, blends, and balances. At the same time, it also demonstrates the conductor’s hit-or-miss nature with the core repertoire.
Andris Nelsons’s conception of Strauss’s Tod und Verklärung was impressive, marked by strong contrasts of character, flexibility of phrasing, and a commendable grasp of musical space.
Interpretively, this installment in the BSO’s cycle of Dmitri Shostakovich’s fifteen symphonies is occasionally (and a bit surprisingly) spotty.
The orchestra’s summer home is operating at reduced capacity this season, but it’s wonderful to have the BSO and its public reunited.
One can only hope that Gail Samuel’s hiring means that the BSO’s welcome-but-fitful efforts at expanding its repertoire and engaging the community of late will become central to its post-pandemic mission.
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