Giants Visit Symphony Hall

One of the delights of many BSO concerts is the chance to experience performances by very well-known artists, seeing in person those who you have heard on records and radio broadcasts. This was the case last weekend, when the first half of the program featured Murray Perahia, one of America's greatest living pianists, performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4. Beethoven changed the format of the concerto from the traditional showcasing of virtuostic flourishes by the soloist to a true partnership between piano and orchestra. The first movement begins with solo piano instead of the orchestral introduction, and a dialog then ensues. Fitting a work from history's greatest composer, it is hard to say whether the solo piano or orchestral potion is more beautiful, but both were admirably performed. After intermission, Bernard Haitink conducted the BSO in Mahler's Symphony No 1. Maestro Haitink was the renowned conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam for 27 years and has conducted major orchestras around the world. It is hard to listen to a classical music station without hearing works he conducts. Mahler is not one of our favorite composers. Too many of his works seem to include everything but the kitchen sink, without obvious rhyme or reason. The Symphony No. 1 fits this mold, variably soft and crashing. It includes a segment of Frere Jacques done in minor mode, and klezmer-like segments. Played by a lesser orchestra we would have been tempted to leave, but with the polished performance of the BSO and the magnificent acoustics of Symphony Hall, it was an almost enjoyable experience.

NBSO Shows its Many Facets

The April 9 NBSO concert encapsulated in one evening why the orchestra is so vital to the South Coast. An add-on to the already full program was a charming piece, “Adaptations in Motion” that was written by Music Director David MacKenzie based on themes written by area 3rd graders as part of the NBSO’s educational outreach program. This past year’s Learning in Concert program focused on adaptations in motion of animals and music, and the children were asked to compose melodies describing how different animals moved. The finished piece was performed at the Young people’s Concert earlier and for us April 9. The short symphony had overtones of John Williams and delighted the audience, and I am sure thrilled its young “composers.” The next piece up was Francis Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos, masterfully played by husband and wife Jean-Efflam and Andrea Bavouzet. While Poulenc will never be one of my favorite composers, the programming of this piece clearly shows how the NBSO takes us out of our comfort zone and exposes us to new and interesting works. The first and third movements were energetic and frenetic, while the middle was almost Romantic in its melody. After one piano was removed from the stage, Jean-Efflam returned for a stunning rendition of Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand. The concerto was written after World War I for pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who lost his right arm during combat. The piece begins dark and brooding, evoking tanks moving over battle fields, and demands enormous artistry from the pianist during the solo parts. Indeed it was difficult to tell without watching that only one hand was used. Although not a “big name” in this country, Mr. Bavouzet is very well-known in Europe and an accomplished soloist and recording artist, and typical of the first-class guest artists that NBSO brings to New Bedford. After intermission we had a well-known and familiar piece of the classic repertoire: Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 5. Beginning in a brooding, “Russian,” manner, the themes recur in following movements. A beautiful horn solo highlights the second movement. The ending is a typical “big” finale with lots of brass and percussion. This piece allowed the NBSO to demonstrate the high level of professionalism that it has achieved under Maestro MacKenzie, rivalling that of any regional orchestra. One concert remains in the 2015-16 season. Do not miss it.

Acting tour de force at the New rep

Blackberry Winter, a new play having its “rolling” world premiere at the New Rep is a one-woman tour de force. The concept is simple: Adrianne Krstansky plays Vivienne, a middle-aged woman who is primary care giver of her mother, who is suffering from advancing Alzheimer’s dementia. The actress speaks directly to the audience, describing her mother’s situation and all the attendant stresses. The playwright clearly has either been down this road or has close friends who have done so, as the descriptions ring very true to a primary care physician caring for such patients and their families. We become familiar with Vivienne’s sister and husband through her descriptions and get a picture of the assisted living facility in which her mother is staying until her condition progresses and she must go to a nursing home. The pain and conflict of the daughter are heart-rendingly portrayed by Ms. Krstansky. There is also a “play-within-the-play:” a myth supposedly thought up by the daughter to explain the origins of Alzheimer’s disease using a white egret and a gray mole played by Paula Langton and Ken Cheeseman. The talents of these two fine actors is largely wasted in their scenes, which seem pointlessly engrafted, perhaps to give the star a moment to catch her emotional breath. While depressing in its veracity, this play is worth seeing if only for the talented Ms. Krstansky.