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Boston Globe
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
American music, Symphony Hall's 125th anniversary, and the natural world: Inside the Boston Symphony Orchestra's 2025-26 season
Moreover, he said, the upcoming season 'represents the beginning of a deep exploration of the humanities' in the orchestra's work, with more supplementary events hosted by the BSO's humanities institute to be announced at a later date. 'We're beginning to weave big ideas and big questions into our work, as a way for our art form to have a dialogue between the past and present,' Smith said. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The 'E Pluribus Unum' programming is dispersed throughout the season, beginning with an all-American gala with music director Andris Nelsons on the podium during the season's opening weekend (Sept. 19), and concluding with John Adams's 'Harmonium' in the final program of the season, paired with Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and conducted by Dima Slobodeniouk, a frequent guest whom Smith described as a 'great friend of the orchestra.' (April 30 - May 3) Advertisement However, many of the 'E Pluribus Unum' highlights are concentrated in January 2026, including concert performances of Samuel Barber's 'Vanessa' presented in collaboration with Boston Lyric Opera, conducted by Nelsons with soprano Jennifer Holloway in the title role and Marshfield-grown mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey as Erika (Jan. 8 & 10); an all-John Williams program, also conducted by Nelsons and featuring pianist Emanuel Ax (Jan. 22 - 25), and the Boston premiere of BSO composer chair Carlos Simon's gospel-inspired 'Good News Mass,' conducted by BSO artistic partner and youth and family concerts conductor Thomas Wilkins (Jan. 29-31). Nelsons is helming 14 different programs during the season, his twelfth as music director. His dance card includes 'Missa solemnis' (Oct. 9-11), Bernstein's 'Chichester Psalms' (Jan. 15 & 17), John Adams's Violin Concerto, featuring Augustin Hadelich (Oct. 16-18), and a shared date with 2025 Tanglewood Music Center conducting fellows Leonard Weiss and Yiran Zhao (April 3). The season's lineup of guest conductors includes Jonathon Heyward and Nodoka Okisawa, making BSO debuts; Andrey Boreyko and BSO assistant conductor Anna Handler, making planned Symphony Hall debuts; and several familiar faces including Herbert Blomstedt, Domingo Hindoyan, Thomas Adès, Susanna Mälkki, and Esa-Pekka Salonen. Scheduled soloists with the BSO in the coming season include Yuja Wang, Seong-Jin Cho, Midori, Yunchan Lim, and Joshua Bell, among others. Hadelich, who made his BSO debut in 2012, performs several times in the coming season as artist in residence, offering a solo recital (Oct. 19) and chamber performances with pianist Orion Weiss (Feb. 1) and the Boston Symphony Chamber Players (Feb. 15) in addition to appearing in two programs with the orchestra. Advertisement In addition to its subscription programming, the BSO is also hosting three touring orchestras for single dates at Symphony Hall. The Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra makes its Boston debut on Nov. 14; Nelsons brings the Vienna Philharmonic and soloist Lang Lang through on March 3, in a co-presentation with Celebrity Series of Boston; finally, the orchestra of Interlochen Arts Academy visits on March 15 with Cristian Măcelaru conducting a program including a new work for cello and orchestra by Wynton Marsalis, featuring Yo-Yo Ma. The Boston Pops also have several dates – most of them conducted by Keith Lockhart – dispersed throughout the season, presenting programs that will celebrate the work of Lin-Manuel Miranda (Sept. 20), Day of the Dead (Nov. 1), Lunar New Year (Feb. 21), and Irish musical traditions (March 14). 'We're finding opportunities to weave Boston Pops programming into the season broadly,' Smith said, 'anchored by Holiday Pops and Spring Pops.' The season's opening festivities commence on Sept. 17 with a free Concert for the City, featuring the BSO, Pops, and Tanglewood Festival Chorus with Nelsons, Lockhart, and Wilkins sharing the podium. As has become custom, a plethora of Boston-based groups will be offering pre-concert performances around Symphony Hall. Subscriptions are available now, with single tickets on sale July 31. BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Begins September. 617-266-1200, A.Z. Madonna can be reached at
Boston Globe
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Anne Bogart's Boston Lyric Opera ‘Carousel' spins in circles
Like her 'South Pacific,' Bogart's 'Carousel' is metatheatrical, at least in theory. Press releases indicated the company is a 'traveling group of outsider artists' that puts on a production of the musical at an abandoned amusement park. Sara Brown's weathered wooden sets, including a towering roller coaster and a rotating circular dais, hinted at that intention; as did the colorful costumes, wigs and makeup by Haydee Zelideth and Earon Chew Nealey, which included plenty of ruffled skirts and neon-colored hair, a leather vest on the carousel barker Billy Bigelow (the outstanding baritone Edward Nelson), and one eye-catching tiger onesie. Theatrically post-apocalyptic and rough around the edges, it felt like a cousin of the 'Traveling Symphony' Shakespeare troupe as depicted in Emily St. John Mandel's National Book Award-nominated ' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up That framing device also did its part to explain the over-the-top acting of some of the side characters, for example Theophile Victoria's David Bascombe. The script makes Bascombe out to be a condescending enforcer of masculine Christian morality; Victoria, clad in a sweeping coat and top hat, gave the role a preening high camp twist. Advertisement However, in the program, Bogart's director's note indicated that the players are 'a group of refugees' that arrive from 'a great distance, seeking to gain access and acceptance.' This was represented by the tall rolling fences that took the place of curtains, behind which the company assembled during the overture and entr'acte, as well as actors dressed as unsmiling security guards positioned at either side of the stage throughout the show and intermission. Initially it seemed the guard characters were intended to be on the audience's side of the fourth wall, as they pointedly refused to interact with the actors' antics during the joyous clamor (choreographed by Shura Baryshnikov) of 'June Is Bustin' Out All Over,' but when a character called the police within the musical, those guards were the ones who answered the call. Otherwise, the refugee angle went unexplored, and it felt like a cheap afterthought. Jamie Barton as Nettie and the cast of Boston Lyric Opera's "Carousel." Nile Scott Studios Under all the colorful ruffles and found-object props, it was still 'Carousel,' played mostly straight. The company deployed a robust orchestra under the baton of David Angus, and a strong cast to carry the score and story of Rodgers and Hammerstein's 80-year-old musical. Advertisement Making her BLO debut, mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton brought a terrifically full voice and overflowing heart to Nettie Fowler. Soprano Brandie Sutton, also a BLO first-timer, wore her fast wits like a crab wears its shell during her first scenes as Julie Jordan, making her later resignation to Billy's abuses even more tragic. Nelson was a compelling and emotionally infuriating Billy; already giving the impression of a confused and terrified young boy in a man's body, 'Soliloquy' only sealed that deal. Might we see him as Sweeney Todd in a few years? Soprano Anya Matanovič's effervescent Carrie Pipperidge was a delight, as was tenor Omar Najmi's stuffed-shirt Enoch Snow; their 'Say something soft and sweet' / 'Boston cream pie!' squabble earned several giggles. Baritone Markel Reed, as the scheming, strutting Jigger, snatched attention during 'Stonecutters Cut It on Stone' with an immaculate comic verse sung up an octave. Abigail Marie Curran's Louise landed onstage like a hurricane in the Act II dream ballet, wild-eyed and barefoot; her thrashing, whirling limbs beat at the bars of an invisible cage. (Costume team: nice job dressing the kids in Act II in a mixture of their parents' signature colors.) But 'Carousel' sung well still has the problem of being 'Carousel,' in which a teenage girl earnestly asks her mother if it's possible for a man to hit you but it feels like a kiss, and that mother saying 'it's possible, dear,' as the music swells. Nicholas Hytner's acclaimed 1990s production changed the tenor of that scene by having Billy Advertisement This production almost seemed to rush through that scene, crossing fingers no one would remember it in the wake of the uplifting graduation address given by the Starkeeper/Dr. Seldon (played by Boston Foundation president and CEO Lee Pelton) and subsequent finale-reprise of 'You'll Never Walk Alone.' The ultimate scene on Friday encapsulated many of the problems with this 'Carousel,' as the house lights illuminated and Pelton addressed the audience, with the company standing behind him. Were we meant to be the townsfolk, in-universe? Were we meant to be the audience of the traveling troupe? A community with the power to welcome refugees, which might choose not to? No one seemed to know. When Pelton asked a question that begged for a loud and affirmative audience response, I heard one lonely 'yes' from somewhere nearby. Before people join up with any cause, they need to know they're not just spectators. Some need to know that simply watching is no longer an option. This 'Carousel' had the opportunity to jolt us out of our comfortable seats; instead, it turned us in circles. A.Z. Madonna can be reached at
Boston Globe
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
‘Carousel' gets a new look at Boston Lyric Opera
'Now I can write you,' Rodgers penned in a letter to his wife one week into the Boston tryout, 'Because last night we had a SHOW!' Now, is directed by three-time BLO director Anne Bogart, conducted by the Opera's music director David Angus, and performed by a cast of over 50 artists. When BLO approached Bogart about directing the anniversary production, she said the decision was a no-brainer. 'My entire being said yes, immediately with no hesitation,' she said. 'Because I know what a powerful piece it is, what a piece of history it is, and what a remarkable achievement it is to create a piece that's both a popular American musical and also operatic in its form.' Director Anne Bogart (C) instructed the cast during a rehearsal of Boston Lyric Opera's "Carousel" production. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff 'Carousel' is Rodgers and Hammerstein's second musical, written just a few years after their smash hit debut (a show that had arrived in Boston in 1943 as 'Away We Go!' and left as 'Oklahoma!'). Through Rodgers' sweeping, romantic melodies and Hammerstein's lyrics, 'Carousel' tells the story of carousel barker Billy Bigelow (Edward Nelson) and millworker Julie Jordan (Brandie Sutton). The pair quickly fall in love and get married–but then their lives take a dark turn. First, Billy, out of work and frustrated, hits Julie. Then, when she reveals she's pregnant, he decides to take part in a robbery to provide financially for his future child. The robbery goes awry, Billy dies in the process, and the musical follows along as he leaves Earth and meets the Starkeeper (played by Boston Foundation President Advertisement The grim aspects of 'Carousel''s plot have, for better or for worse, come to define the show. 'The most common comment I get from people is, 'Why are you doing that piece? It's depressing, it's miserable,'' Angus said. Angus's two-part retort? First, this is an opera theater, and opera specialists are well-accustomed to handling material riddled with violence and darkness. And second, while the plot of 'Carousel' might not be the breeziest, its message is ultimately one of hope. 'It's facing up to reality and saying 'it's okay,'' Angus said. 'It's actually a hugely uplifting piece.' Because of 'Carousel''s reputation, particularly around its treatment of Billy and domestic violence, some productions cut some of the book's more controversial lines. But Bogart decided that this production would treat the musical as a historical artifact and perform it entirely intact, while setting it contemporaneously to put the work in direct conversation with present-day audiences. Bogart thus approached her work with the meticulousness of a historian. She and her assistant, Calvin Atkinson, spent hours at a time researching the production's history and analyzing the book line by line. That way, Bogart said, she could 'fuel [her] instincts' as director. 'Once we start to rehearse, it has to happen so quickly,' she says. 'All those choices in the moment are informed by months of preparation.' Advertisement Brandie Sutton (R) and Omar Nadmi (L) performed during a rehearsal of Boston Lyric Opera's "Carousel" production. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Meanwhile, Angus was diving just as deeply into the music as he prepared to conduct this production's 46 piece orchestra. 'Carousel' is known for a few enduring hits—'If I Loved You,' 'June Is Bustin' Out All Over,' 'You'll Never Walk Alone'—but the entire, near-continuous score is richly layered, full of off-kilter harmonies and subtle musical themes that represent the different characters. (For the rest of his life, Rodgers insisted that this was his favorite score he ever wrote.) While 'Carousel' is colloquially classified as a musical, it has appeared at both opera theaters and more traditional musical theaters over the years, and productions have featured both opera and musical theater artists (the difference between the two genres, Angus says, is far from black and white). True to opera tradition, the vocalists at BLO will project their voices without microphones, which Angus says allows them to express emotion more authentically. 'Real singing without amplification,' he said, 'is humans communicating with each other.' It's an effect that's so powerful that both Angus and Bogart confess that they've teared up in more than one rehearsal. For Angus, the emotional apex is Julie's second act solo 'What's the Use of Wond'rin,' in which she affirms that she'll always love Billy in spite of his faults. For Bogart, it's the message of redemption embedded in the iconic 'You'll Never Walk Alone,' performed in this production by lauded opera singer 'I'm working, I'm working, and then all of a sudden, I'm crying,' Bogart said. Advertisement This, Angus said, is the magic of opera—that music written decades ago can reach out from the past and touch the audiences of today. 'When it's done well, it gets you in the heart, whether it's this, or Mozart, or Puccini,' Angus said. 'You'll go out sobbing, or elated—you'll be changed.' CAROUSEL $48+, April 4, 6, 11, 13, 7:30 p.m. April 4 and 11, 3 p.m., April 6 and 13, Emerson Colonial Theatre, 106 Boylston St., Boston,
Boston Globe
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Even without its signature set, BLO's ‘The Seasons' is no dry run
Early in the opera, The Poet (as portrayed by countertenor and 'The Seasons' co-progenitor Anthony Roth Costanzo) sings: 'You know poets, sometimes we feel the weather inside of us more than we feel the weather outside of us.' Given Wednesday's performance, it's clear that axiom doesn't just apply to poets. Advertisement There's no doubt that 'The Seasons' would have been a different show had the six singers and six dancers been working with the visual and tactile elements of Lien and Forman's soapscape set in addition to the lighting, the lithe modern choreography by Pam Tanowitz, the diaphanous costumes by Carlos J Soto, and Vivaldi's music as performed by a zesty Baroque pit band. Regardless, 'The Seasons' was on solid ground musically and visually. The iconic concertos of 'The Four Seasons' served as the piece's creative springboard, but thoughtfully selected arias, songs, and other pieces from Vivaldi's vast catalogue made up the bulk of the score, blending the familiar with the old-made-new. Baroque arias often manifest emotions through nature or weather imagery in both voice and instrumentation: plinking pizzicato for rain here, twittering birds for spring there, and 'The Seasons' made plentiful and effective use of that trope. Advertisement In Ruhl's dramatic scenario, an artists' rustic retreat is disturbed when the seasonal cycle falls out of order due to climate change, and the singers portraying those artists were all outstanding. As the Farmer, soprano Ashley Emerson unfurled luscious melismas while chopping vegetables, and countertenor Kangmin Justin Kim's warm, velvety timbre as the Painter provided a keen contrast to Costanzo's icy, clear precision. In the role of the Choreographer, mezzo-soprano and BLO emerging artist Alexis Peart partnered with dancer Lindsey Jones in a touching and tragic duet for human voice and human body. Every baroque opera must have its rage arias, and soprano Whitney Morrison and bass-baritone Brandon Cedel tackled those with incisive wrath. Special kudos goes to Ji Yung Lee, who led the pit ensemble from the harpsichord on only minutes' notice after production music director Stephen Stubbs was accidentally injured backstage on his way to the pit and needed to sit the performance out. (A BLO spokesperson confirmed Stubbs was OK, but that's not the first medical emergency Maile Okamura, front, and other members of Pam Tanowitz Dance in Boston Lyric Opera's "The Seasons." Nile Scott Studios The narrative of weather disrupted seems simplistic on the surface. The paradigm of four seasons neatly divided into spring, summer, fall, and winter has only ever been true for very specific parts of the world. And even in those parts that can claim those four seasons, like New England, it gets more complicated than that. I'm reminded of Advertisement But therein lies the point: No matter the exact rhythms of the cycle you're used to, the effects of climate change can turn it into disaster followed by disaster. The most powerful tableau of the show featured the violent third movement of 'Summer' from 'The Four Seasons,' as haze effects filled the air and the stage was illuminated in orange with the back wall invisible through the smoke. It's an image Further productions in New York and beyond are planned for 'The Seasons,' and hopefully by then the complications with Lien and Forman's iridescent setpiece will be resolved. I do look forward to experiencing 'The Seasons' as its creators envisioned it. Still, though the Boston run of 'The Seasons' may not have realized everything it had wanted, the show is not lacking anything it needs. It's even there in the stage directions of Ruhl's libretto: 'Mostly an empty set. And weather.' And so they have it. THE SEASONS Presented by Boston Lyric Opera and ArtsEmerson. Through March 16. A.Z. Madonna can be reached at
