Andris Nelsons
The final installment in the Boston Symphony Orchestra’ s Shostakovich symphonies series is not nearly as overwhelming as its kick-off disc.
A concert whose music served as a prayerful elegy for a world spinning out of control.
Ten years on, Andris Nelsons’s retains his remarkable gifts for expressing the raw power of music with dazzling panache.
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.
Classical Music Commentary: What’s Next for the Boston Symphony? — Lessons from the Past