BSO presents a study in contrasts

This week’s BSO concert was a study in contrasts. The opener was a bitter-sweet add-on: a glorious rendition of Bach’s Air on a G String, sweet to hear but added as a tribute to Joseph Silverstein who recently died. Next up was Haydn’s Symphony #30 – the Alleluja. Just as “Nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee,” it is hard to dislike a Haydn symphony. These were largely composed as easy listening for the Esterhazy family and friends, and are pleasant to the ear but rarely dramatic. Of course the orchestra’s playing was flawless. After this came Bartok’s Piano Concerto #2, a piece that represents everything I dislike about 20th Century composition. Yefim Bronfman attacked the piano. The first movement featured a battle between the piano and the brass section, which probably ended in a draw. The second movement revived the strings, which had sat mutely for the first, in a remarkably contrasting section of sweetness. Mr. Bronfman is a titan of the piano, and many in the audience were wildly appreciative, but I found the piece atonal and hard on the ears. After intermission, another contrast: Tchaikovsky’s Symphony #1, “Winter Daydreams.” An evocative piece that draws on Russian folk themes, the orchestration and complexity showed how far the symphonic form had evolved over the century between Haydn and Tchaikovsky. Of course, Andris Nelsons' gyrations at the podium always add to the visual impact of the BSO.