Boston Symphony Orchestra
Daniele Gatti’s management of the orchestra – the unfolding of melodic lines and instrumental textures – was particularly noteworthy, matched here with a keen sensitivity to the music’s expressive detail: this was a riveting performance.
Julian Rachlin is a Romantic violinist in the best sense: he has technique to burn, but isn’t overly showy. His tone is pure, his intonation impeccable, and in his playing the melodic line is – even in the busiest solo textures – given pride of place.
If the BSO wanted to make a statement about where it might be headed based on the strong artistic results of the current season, it certainly could have. That it didn’t is a missed opportunity and hopefully not a sign of things to come.
Saariaho’s music is often lush and vibrant, to be sure, but it also can lose track of its musical purpose and meander excessively from time to time. Not so in “Circle Map.”
That Symphony Hall was probably a third empty is inexplicable, but, if you missed any of these concerts, it’s truly your loss. These were among the BSO’s benchmark performances of the last decade.
This weekend’s soloist, Joshua Bell, is a performer who perhaps best approximates Leonard Bernstein’s charismatic personality in performance: a fully engaged interpreter, he does not shy away from physically expressing the emotional content of what he’s playing.
On the whole, then, there’s quite a bit to look forward to in orchestral performances this coming season.
One can’t really go wrong with any of the individual concerts, but below are a few highlights released between August 1st and September 2nd. All are available for purchase on the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s website.
The classical music season promises to start out strong, with performances from A Far Cry, Itzhak Perlman, and the Claremont Trio.
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