Boston Symphony Orchestra
In Boston, Leonard Bernstein might have sustained Serge Koussevitzky’s bold adventure—and changed the course of American classical music. Today’s Boston Symphony is adrift
Last Friday night, conductor Andris Nelsons and the musicians came on stage together wearing red carnations as symbols of solidarity. The applause was immediate and fervent.
Ultimately—and regardless of one’s take on Andris Nelsons as an artist—it’s hard to see how the institution’s long-term interests are served by last week’s developments.
Reflecting on our divisive politics, BSO music director Andris Nelsons told the concert audience that “Every tunnel has light at the end.”
The destruction and displacement of people today so recall the past that Thomas de Hartmann’s music resounds with fierce, resonant force.
Concerts in the past week by the Boston Symphony Orchestra with guest artist James Carter and the Orquesta Sinfónico de Puerto Rico with guest artist Luis Sanz were a cultural festival and a musical feast.
The Latvian conductor can sometimes overindulge in pieces that demand shifts in emotional direction on a dime, so the frenzied eclecticism of Mahler’s Fourth feels tailor-made for him.
John Williams’s concert music may be intended to enrich and edify, but there’s always room for a little fandom, particularly on occasions like this. At 93, and after a lifetime of firsts, the composer deserves every accolade.
Mother Nature provided singular and poetic assistance during Sunday’s afternoon outing at Tanglewood.
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Why festival programming—and humanities partnerships—can help the BSO.
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