Each month, our arts critics — music, book, theater, dance, television, film, and visual arts — fire off a few brief reviews.
Herbert Blomstedt
Classical CD Reviews: François-Xavier Roth and Schumann, Herbert Blomstedt and Brahms, and Daniel Barenboim and Elgar
Françoix-Xavier Roth delivers a must-have cycle of Robert Schumann’s symphonies; Herbert Blomstedt’s Brahms’s Symphony no. 1 is spacious, restrained, and – too often – dull; Daniel Barenboim’s latest Elgar installment features a regrettably unsung masterpiece.
Classical CD Reviews: Herbert Blomstedt conducts Mahler, Christopher Jacobson plays Saint-Saëns & Poulenc, and Kirill Petrenko conducts Tchaikovsky
Herbert Blomstedt conducts a powerful version of Mahler’s valedictory essay, organist Christopher Jacobson provides a so-so “Organ” Symphony, and Kirill Petrenko’s initial recording as the chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic is lovely.
Classical CD Reviews: Jonathan Nott conducts Ligeti, Herbert Blomstedt conducts Mozart, Kopelman Quartet Performs the Kissin String Quartet
Jonathan Nott does right by Ligeti and Herbert Blomstedt does the same for Mozart. You didn’t know that Evgeny Kissin, the piano virtuoso, was also a composer? Join the club.