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Boston Globe
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
A cutting history lesson from the BSO, and gorgeous imperfection from H+H
Friday afternoon featured a solid performance from the BSO, music director Andris Nelsons, and Latvian violinist Baiba Skride. The program was structurally balanced, and the juxtaposition of the two pieces made for an artfully delivered, poignant message about the whims of tyranny. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Symphony No. 8 was completed in 1943 and thus pre-dates the Violin Concerto by five years. The composer had already seen several friends and relatives sent to the Soviet Union's infamous gulags for alleged political crimes, and supposedly he kept a packed suitcase ready in case the secret police came for him. However, with the success of his patriotic Symphony No. 7, 'Leningrad', Shostakovich had rallied Soviet spirits and sustained his amicable official relationship with Party leadership, which he'd labored to repair after the 1936 denunciation of his opera ' Advertisement According to the program notes by Harlow Robinson, Symphony No. 8 was found insufficiently heroic by the Party officials, who craved unambiguous 'Socialist realist' musical praise of its ideologies, but the composer faced no immediate consequences. However, as Shostakovich worked on the Violin Concertoin 1948, he and other high profile Soviet composers were ordered to confess their 'mistakes' of writing music that failed to toe the Party line. The Violin Concerto's musical structure was already unorthodox, its affects alternately dark and brooding or grotesque, and it contained distinctly Jewish musical themes at a time when antisemitism was on the rise in the Soviet Union. Out of self-preservation, Shostakovich withheld the concerto from performance until after Stalin's death in 1953, and put bread on the table by writing unassailably Stalin-praising concert pieces and film scores. In the Handel and Haydn Society's program book later that day, musicologist Teresa Neff wrote that 'surely part of the magic of music lives in its ability to speak differently to each listener, and to the same listener in different ways.' Friday's BSO program demonstrated that that magic, more than any specific mode of musical expression, was surely what Stalin and his apparatchiks sought to quash. If music can speak differently to each listener, there's nothing to stop it from conveying ideas that threaten power. Skride, who will appear in Leipzig with the BSO, landed her bow on the strings for the violin concerto's sleepless Nocturne with the silent fluidity of an owl on the hunt, and the electrifying restlessness only intensified through the grotesque carnival of the Scherzo. Behind her, the large orchestra played like a tight band, the musical texture densely woven. The beginning of the third movement is one of the concerto's rare moments when the soloist does not play, and the BSO brass intoned the introduction with awesome weight, as if pronouncing judgement. Advertisement The soloist was sublime in the third movement's incendiary Passacaglia and the subsequent visceral cadenza, spiking the repeated musical ideas with mercurial accents and rhythms. The final Burlesque flagged by comparison. But that concerto is a marathon, and the cadenza is its Heartbreak Hill. Many a solid violinist has run low on gas around that point. She'll have another run at it in Leipzig. Symphony No. 8 bristled with lean intensity, and on the heels of the Violin Concerto the common points between the pieces were easy to hear. Abrupt textural and rhythmic shifts were plentiful, and the vicious circus conveyed by the second movement's militaristic march sounded quite familiar. Nelsons leaned into the final movement's fake-out, as it seemed to be building towards triumph (as the Party authorities would have expected) then swerved into quiet and uneasy reflection. More's the pity these pieces don't share a program in Leipzig; history sings in these notes. 06bso - Handel and Haydn Society artistic director Jonathan Cohen leading the orchestra at Symphony Hall. (Joseph Sedarski) Joseph Sedarski Later that day, in the same hall, the Handel and Haydn Society concluded its season with artistic director Jonathan Cohen on the podium and soloist Kristian Bezuidenhout at the fortepiano. The evening began with the society's teenage choruses performing Schubert's 'An die Sonne': a very difficult piece for young voices, and they made a heroic effort which Bezuidenhout gamely accompanied. Mozart's incidental music from the play 'Thamos, King of Egypt' was thoroughly entertaining, as was Haydn's Symphony No. 82, 'The Bear.' Perhaps anything would seem cheerful after a slew of Shostakovich, but a distinct joie de vivre seemed to spark behind the sound. This is what you get when you treat 200+-year-old music as a living tradition: Haydn's humor shone through the ample false endings of his symphony's final movement, some of which even got a few claps from the audience before they realized the orchestra was still playing. Centuries later, he's still full of surprises. Advertisement Paul Lewis, one of the greatest living players of Beethoven, once told me that if he were to make breakfast for the composer, he'd make 'a mess of eggs.' There are as many ways to approach Beethoven's music as there are to prepare said eggs, and even though it was only a few weeks ago that 06bso - Fortepianist Kristian Bezuidenhout. (Joseph Sedarski) Joseph Sedarski The tuning of intervals on the fortepiano is somewhat different than that of a modern piano, and the piece resounded with little strains of blithe dissonance that nonetheless never detracted from the whole, but gave it an air of wabi-sabi, the Japanese concept of beauty in the impermanent and imperfect. In the second movement, which sets up piano and orchestra as adversaries, Cohen led the orchestra through forceful and brisk retorts to Bezuidenhout's delicate tunes; the finale was all mischief and fun. In a side room, there was a Advertisement As an encore, Bezuidenhout graced the audience with another thoughtful turn around the Regier's keyboard: the songful slow movement from Beethoven's Sonata No. 4. BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA / HANDEL AND HAYDN SOCIETY At Symphony Hall. A.Z. Madonna can be reached at
Chicago Tribune
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Review: CSO music-director-to-be Klaus Mäkelä faces his orchestra — and the work ahead
At a Chicago Symphony rehearsal this week open to the press and orchestra donors, music director designate Klaus Mäkelä halted the orchestra while working on Dvořák's Symphony No. 7. 'We know it will be a long line, yeah?' he said to the violins. As he said it, the young conductor assumed the stance of an explorer, shielding his eyes and pointing to an imagined horizon. Reflecting on Mäkelä's appearances on April 24 and May 1, I returned again and again to this directive. Both concerts evinced the infectious energy and sonic dazzle that inspired the CSO to hire him in the first place. But they also probed ensemble areas which require investment and attention — that 'long line,' so to speak, made even longer by the fact that Mäkelä doesn't fully assume the CSO post until 2027. Last week, he returned to Gustav Mahler, the composer whose symphony sealed Mäkelä's partnership with the CSO and who will be the subject of an upcoming orchestral summit in Amsterdam, another home-base-to-be for the Finnish conductor. His choice of repertoire was characteristically ambitious: Mahler's Third Symphony, the longest in the standard repertoire at about 100 minutes long. This time around, Mäkelä didn't relay the same end-to-end momentum and delicious abandon as 2023's Fifth — still a high bar for Mahlers at Orchestra Hall, under any baton. Instead, Mäkelä's Third dwelt on the CSO's impassioned ensemble sound. He had much to love: After a sleepy couple of months at Orchestra Hall, hearing the CSO give their all under Mäkelä was like a blast of fresh alpine air. (The orchestra was similarly energized under conductor Jaap van Zweden, which bodes well for their forthcoming tour to Amsterdam's Mahler Festival together.) The first movement is pocked with all-orchestra rests, which tend to give the music an air-clearing effect. Under Mäkelä, the silences themselves sung, articulating the music's bleakness rather than offering a respite from it. If a symphony must embrace everything, as Mahler's old saw goes, it must, too, embrace silence. After a mostly moment-by-moment first movement, a reverent sixth and final movement hit that point home, its spaciousness calling back to the symphony's introduction with far-sighted acuity. Last week's Mahler 3 also marked Mäkelä's first CSO appearance with singers. Based on Thursday's performance, vocalists — both solo and ensemble — seem to be in good hands. Contralto Wiebke Lehmkuhl sang her fourth-movement solo with elemental authority, her phrasing thoughtful and vowels warmly rounded. In the fifth movement, the treble voices of the Chicago Symphony Chorus and Uniting Voices Chicago (formerly Chicago Children's Choir) melded, handsomely, into one ringing body. It helped that Mäkelä cloaked the orchestra's sound ever so slightly for the benefit of the soloist and singers, just as he did for last year's Shostakovich cello concerto. Even Lehmkuhl's low-middle range landed squarely for listeners in the lower balcony. Against the Mahler, Mäkelä's Dvořák 7 (continuing through this weekend) came away as a more cohesive musical statement. In performance, Mäkelä maintained that 'long line' through the entire piece: Returning motives varied slightly but effortlessly, as though being sung in real time. The string hiccup beginning the Scherzo theme was whistle-clean; rather than beating through busy sections, Mäkelä resurrected his favored move of pointing at instruments with moving lines, or, occasionally, mouthing along to them. The third movement melted into the fourth with ease, making natural bedfellows of two very different movements. The performance seemed to just flow as though coasting across the score, rather than the Mahler's burrowing. The ride was bumpier on the rest of the May 1 program. Programming Pierre Boulez's 'Initiale,' a brass septet, was a great idea in theory: The late conductor-composer's centenary has been mostly overlooked at Orchestra Hall, and at four minutes long, the piece is plenty audience-friendly, not to mention a showcase for the storied CSO brass. Instead, the performance was dispiritingly coarse, only gaining confidence and clarity as it went on — which, for a piece that short, is too little, too late. Pianist and artist-in-residence Daniil Trifonov's appearance with the orchestra, playing Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2, also improved as it went along. The fearsomely talented pianist tends to follow his own whims behind the keyboard — a guarantee of fresh and sometimes idiosyncratic performances, like Thursday's. (Mäkelä again impressed in his solo support role here, catching Trifonov's fluctuations with eagle-eyed precision.) All the Trifonov hallmarks were there: rubbery, supple hands that glide across the keyboard, and an unabashed interiority that gives the sense, at times, that Trifonov is playing for an audience of one. Trifonov carried that spirit forward into the final Allegretto grazioso movement, its first notes beginning with the same awed hush as the end of the Andante. More uncharacteristically, the typically impeccable pianist tripped a couple times in Thursday's performance: a note flub in the first movement, a brief brain freeze in an exposed moment in the second. One wonders if that, on top of the concerto's immense bulk, played into the exacting Trifonov's decision to leave audiences with just a whiff of an encore: Chopin's Prelude No. 10, all of 30 seconds long. CSO musicians delivered on the concerto's big solo moments, mostly. Principal cellist John Sharp sang above the haze of the Andante with a noble tone and tender phrasing. So did assistant principal horn Daniel Gingrich, his sound willowy and fluid. Less so for his colleague, principal horn Mark Almond, whose opening horn call kicks off the concerto. Almond has seen a few strong performances in recent months, including a poised turn in Jaap van Zweden's Mahler 7 last month. But his features in Mäkela's concert weeks — in Mahler 3 and the Brahms — sounded tentative in the extreme. Mahler 3 likewise saw some good nights for principals and troubled nights for others. Principal trumpet Esteban Batallán returned for these concerts with a post horn solo to remember, wistfully sounding from Orchestra Hall's rafters. (Mahler's score directs the soloist to emulate the effect of a horn call moving closer; in these performances, Batallán actually did so, playing his first solo from the fifth floor corridor, his second from the entrance to the hall's ceiling, and his final solo directly above the stage, on a catwalk.) Concertmaster Robert Chen, settling back into the orchestra after a pinched nerve, saw opposite fortunes in the first movement, with stoic solos that often trotted ahead of his colleagues and Mäkelä's beat. Ups and downs in various principal seats only made trombonist Timothy Higgins' contributions, leading that section, all the more commendable. After winning the CSO's principal trombone audition last month, Higgins, of the San Francisco Symphony, has joined the orchestra for some trial weeks, starting with van Zweden's Mahler 7. But it was Mahler 3, and the first movement's many trombone solos, that were his true testing ground. Over the course of the movement, brawny eloquence gave way to vulnerability, as though he was curling inwards — a unified statement across the movement's sprawl. A week later, Higgins was MVP again as an anchor in the rough tides of the Boulez. If the deal gets sealed, Higgins will be Mäkelä's second hire to the orchestra after violinist Gabriela Lara — also a standout player. The last three weeks would indicate he's passed, colors a-flying. Hannah Edgar is a freelance critic. The Rubin Institute for Music Criticism helps fund our classical music coverage. The Chicago Tribune maintains editorial control over assignments and content. Program repeats 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and again 3 p.m. on Sun., May 4; tickets $75-$399 at Also worth noting The arts calendar has gotten fuller in recent weeks. Chicago Opera Theater announced its coming season, with Chicago premieres of works by Kurt Weill and Antonio Salieri, while the Grant Park Music Festival and CSO have grown theirs slightly. Grant Park adds a performance by violinist Joshua Bell on Aug. 6, and the CSO tacks on concerts of John Williams' film music (June 23, 2026), the Ravi Shankar Ensemble (March 22, 2026) and ranchera star Aída Cuevas (Sept. 26). Symphony Center's jazz series also announced its 2025-26 season programming this week, and with it a new guest curator model. Kate Dumbleton, director of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival, and Mike Reed, drummer, venue owner and festival programmer, are each tasked with curating a concert in the spring. The full SCP Jazz lineup is as follows; tickets are on sale Aug. 6 at Bassist Christian McBride and pianist Brad Mehldau playing duo, 8 p.m. Oct. 10; tickets $39-$119. Herbie Hancock (note Sunday date), 8 p.m. Oct. 26; tickets $55-$199. Joshua Redman Quartet feat. singer Gabrielle Cavassa, playing selections from 2023's 'where we are' and the forthcoming 'Words Fall Short,' 8 p.m. Nov. 7; tickets $39-$119. 50th anniversary of Marvin Gaye's 'I Want You' with singers José James and Lizz Wright, 8 p.m. Feb. 6, 2026; tickets $39-$119. Double-bill of saxophonist Nubya Garcia and singer Somi, curated by Kate Dumbleton, 8 p.m. March 13, 2026; tickets $29-$119. Miles Davis centenary tributes by pianists Gonzalo Rubalcaba and John Beasley, 8 p.m. March 27, 2026; tickets $39-$119. Drummer and curator Mike Reed explores his 'Chicago Inspirations,' including a tribute to bassist Fred Hopkins and a suite of compositions written by Chicagoans between 1980 and 2010. 8 p.m. May 1, 2026; tickets $29-$119.
The Independent
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
The Traitors' Alexander Dragonetti lands new job after show success
The Traitors star Alexander Dragonetti is joining Classic FM to host a new Friday night series. The former British diplomat will host a five-part series titled, Trust Me, It's A Classic with Alexander Dragonetti, on the classical music station starting on Friday, 14 March. Dragonetti is best known for being a finalist in the most recent series of the BBC reality show, The Traitors, which followed 22 contestants as they completed a series of challenges and games in the Scottish Highlands. He said: 'I'm a big fan of Classic FM – so it's an honour to be part of such an iconic station. 'I love how it makes classical music so accessible, including people like me who are still learning. 'There's a saying that 'music isn't meant to be heard – it's meant to be felt'. I'd like to share the music that really makes me feel: happiness, joy, sadness, reflection; and see if it does the same for you.' Playing some of the biggest and most famous pieces of classical music, Dragonetti will also showcase his favourite pieces discussing why they are so special to him. They include Beethoven's Symphony No.7 which he first heard at university, a recording by singer Fatma Said that reminds him of his time as a diplomat in the Middle East, and Le Onde by Italian pianist Ludovico Einaudi, which helped him following the death of his young brother. Dragonetti, who was a faithful in the show, talked openly during The Traitors about his late brother, who had Global Developmental Delay and autism, saying in the event he won he would donate some of the prize money to Mencap, an organisation that supports people with learning disabilities. Since leaving the show, and despite not winning, . Philip Noyce, of Classic FM, said: 'He's just starred in one of the biggest TV programmes, so we're really excited to welcome Alexander to the Classic FM family as the host of our new Friday night series. 'His passion for classical music is infectious, so it's great that he's sharing his most faithful classics with our listeners over the next five weeks and telling us why we can put our trust in them.' The series will start on 14 March from 9pm-10pm.
