436 stories by "Jonathan Blumhofer"
After several years in the wilderness, it seems that, on the conducting front at last, the BSO is again in good hands.
The Schumann First formed the capstone to conductor Asher Fisch's conspicuously satisfying Boston Symphony Orchestra subscription series debut program
Violinist Yevgeny Kutik delivered a performance of the Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto that mined the piece's subversive character but never shied away from its extroverted nature.
What one really wishes is that the Seattle Opera's Ring Cycle had been released as a DVD.
It's fun to recall what's been played locally since January and be reminded just how rich the greater Boston area's classical music scene really is.
Feel free to disagree, add to them, come up with your own list, etc. Above all, enjoy!
Tim Page on a generous sampling of Virgil Thomson's best music criticism " trenchant, outspoken, oftentimes delightfully clever, and always assured.
The conceit of this disc is both nostalgic and old-fashioned.
With its Opera Annex productions " presenting unfamiliar operas in unconventional performance spaces " Boston Lyric Opera really seems to have found its niche.
Under Michael Tilson Thomas's leadership, the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra's sound has been refined and tightened; its repertoire has grown to embrace American music of all stripes.
Saturday's attendance hopefully warms the hearts of the BSO's management. Not only was the house very full, but the assembly also included a healthy proportion of younger heads.
Quibbles about some characteristics of the new pieces aside, hats off to Richard Pittman and the New England Philharmonic for daring to present a program like this..
What we seem to have here is one of the glories of our democracy in action: the blind leading the oblivious; aping distortions and downright falsehoods about the opera.
As they often do in repertoire that doesn't turn up too frequently, the orchestra responded to the music with heightened sensitivity and attention to detail.
The orchestral playing, a couple moments of questionable intonation notwithstanding, was commanding and, at times, exhilarating.
The BSO played with palpable enthusiasm. Andris Nelsons conducted with characteristic energy. There was, by the end of the evening, certainly, quite a bit about which to be happy.
At least waiting for Andris Nelsons to take over the orchestra is done. And we don't have to bide too much time before we get to hear more from him: his first subscription series with the BS…
There's a powerful attachment to conventional repertoire among the city's many orchestras, through are there things to look forward to. Here is a guide to what's coming up.
Nothing, until the very end of the opera, is ever settled or, even, as it seems: this is psychological musical drama writ large and graphically.
Worcester Chamber Music Society is a top-notch chamber ensemble based in central Massachusetts, a region not exactly overflowing with resident, headline-grabbing professional classical music…
Camerata Pacifica does right by John Harbison. And when it comes to Beethoven's music for cello and piano, Jean-Guihen Queyras and Alexander Melnikov are tops.
On the surface, this is a deal that lets both sides go forward having saved face, though a closer look at things suggests that the musicians came out ahead.
Things are going well with Monadnock Music: before Saturday's concert kicked off, managing director Christopher Sink announced that the festival had cleared its financial debts as it heads i…
For those who got to know the Discovery Ensemble over its truncated life, this was a vital ensemble, one that regularly embodied all that's good about classical music.
What's clear is that something needs to give and, after nearly thirty-five years of labor-management harmony, it's apparent that the Met's problems start at the top.
