Michael Tilson Thomas delivers a towering Ives Fourth; pianist Conrad Tao's American Rage is hard-edged and defiant, but also poignant and stirring; Gianandrea Noseda's Shostakovich Fourth i…
A noteworthy recording of Ernst von Dohnányi's Symphony no. 1; as usual, Harry Christophers and the Handel & Haydn Society Play Haydn with their customary elegance and character; a ce…
Violinist Liza Ferschtman and the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra's account of Beethoven's Violin Concerto lacked nothing for momentum and spirit. The post Concert Review: Boston Philharmonic …
Terrific, fiery playing from George Li, one of the most compelling young pianists on the scene; Mariss Jansons' recording of Shostakovich's Tenth trudges from start to finish; irrefutable pr…
Simon Rattle's Bruckner is, on the whole, lean and lively; if you're looking for a new Mahler Four, Vladimir Jurowski's is the one to check out; Thierry Fischer leads performances of each sy…
In the right hands, Shostakovich's Twelfth can come off as nothing less than an intriguing, lively symphonic essay. The post Concert Review: Boston Symphony Orchestra plays Jolas, Ravel, and…
Marc Minkowski's recording of Jacques Offenbach's La Périchole pays the composer a handsome tribute in his birthday year; violinist Baiba Skride's new all-Bartók disc is one of the yea…
The Seattle Symphony does right by Langgaard but not Strauss; Esa-Pekka Salonen's Beethoven is micromanaged to death; Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester offers an ideal off-the-beaten-path Of…
Among the reviews: a terrific, important release that celebrates one of the most interesting " and hitherto overlooked " composers of the late-19th- and early-20th centuries in style. Don't …
There was nothing sleepy or commonplace about the ensemble's performance of favorites by Mozart, Brahms, and Bartók. The post Concert Review: Boston Philharmonic plays Mozart, Brahms, and…
Christian Tetzlaff's brilliant account of Beethoven's Violin Concerto makes for a great album; Rachel Barton Pine's versions of Dvorák and Khachaturian violin concertos are songful; orche…
To Paradise for Onions is a lovely album; Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra 's Transatlantic is spirited; Yannick Nézet-Séguin's Die Zauberflöte is lost in the crowd. The post Classical CD Re…
That rarest of Opening Nights: a program that was mostly fun and entertaining, but also substantive and artistically satisfying. The post Concert Review: Boston Symphony Orchestra's Opening …
Semyon Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic do justice to a lot of Tchaikovsky's orchestral music, while John Eliot Gardiner and the London Symphony play Robert Schumann's famously-dense orche…
Julia Wolfe's Fire in my mouth is one of 2019's most memorable recordings; Donnacha Dennehy's The Hunger, a meditation on the Irish potato famine of the mid-19th-century, leaves an indelible…
I've compiled a list of twelve concerts (or concert series) that I think will stand among the future season's highlights. The post Arts Commentary: 2019-20 Classical Music Preview appeared f…
Nancy Dalberg's string quartets are worth getting to know, Wynton Marsalis's violin Concerto receives an electrifying performance, and Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra continue to …
Herbert Blomstedt conducts a powerful view of Mahler's valedictory essay, organist Christopher Jacobson's provides a so-so "Organ" Symphony, and Kirill Petrenko's initial recording as the ch…
A can't-miss album of Bartók Ballets, Thierry Fischer continues to do right by the symphonies of Saint-Saëns, and a spirited recording of the "last great symphony in the German Romanti…
Reviews of three superior vocal recordings, featuring baritone Gerald Finley, tenor Ian Bostridge, and baritone Thomas Meglioranza. The post Classical CD Reviews: Finley & Drake's "Schwa…
Suffice it to say, the tour was an extraordinary experience, musically and culturally, and, for me, a conspicuously potent introduction to a new continent. The post Arts Commentary: Some Tho…
The BPYO's repertoire in Brazil is drawn from last year's programs and is built around Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto no. 2. The post Classical Music Review: The Boston Philharmonic Youth Or…
The six pieces hailed from various corners of the country and examined a wide range of expressive and social viewpoints. The post Concert Review: Juventas New Music's "Pride: Hand in Hand" a…
François-Xavier Roth's Mahler offers plenty of personality and ideas; there's nothing on Mariss Jansons' disc that's really worth your time; guitarist Daniel Lippel draws out Steve Reich'…
Vasily Petrenko's Elgar disappoints, Edward Gardner's Mendelssohn excites, and Alain Lefévre's Paris is delights. The post Classical CD Reviews: Petrenko conducts Elgar, Gardner conducts Me…