On Forbes: Boston Symphony Orchestra & Andris Nelsons in Vienna

Boston Symphony's Gift To Mahler In Vienna

…As always with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) in combination with Andris Nelsons, expectations are extremely high – even or especially after they were somewhat disappointing when I heard them last summer at Grafenegg. (Forbes review here.) The opening, especially that cor anglais (courtesy Robert Sheena) gorgeously emerging with lots of personality from a sweet swell of strings, was most auspicious. Not just for the coherence and sweep, but especially for the well-shaped many little climaxes that didn’t overly tax the acoustic of the Golden Hall which might be famous but is hardly a natural fit for the really big romantic repertoire. Many – most – visiting orchestras struggle, but the BSO this night kept it perfectly within the limits. Overly picky ears might have pointed to peaks of volume reached in the third movement (Rondo-Burleske), as going to the limit of what the hall can comfortably handle. But then again this movement, “very defiant”, is not primarily meant to be comfortable.

Off to hear the @BostonSymphony & @andris_nelsons at the @Musikverein in a touch of #Mahler. pic.twitter.com/YzONJ8YenL

— Jens F. Laurson (@ClassicalCritic) May 10, 2016

Hungry Bears and Blauer Portugieser

What distinguishes the Ninth Symphony from its ten siblings – making it unique in that sense among Mahler’s symphonies – is its sense of calm and contentment. Granted, there’s still a good deal of the usual Angst and those twisted question marks in the first movement, where hints of music-on-the-edge-of-the seat (foreshadowing the Tenth Symphony) pop up to screaming…

Continued at Forbes.com


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