Thursday, September 24, 2009

BSO Opening Night


The Boston Symphony Orchestra kicked off its 2009-2010 season last night with a concert that connected the past and the present in gorgeous sound. John Williams, the former Pops conductor and film composer, was on hand for the premiere of his Harp Concerto, which he calls "On Willows and Birches." It was written for Ann Hobson Pilot, who's just retired after 40 years with the BSO, and who played the piece with grace and precision. Also on the program was Debussy's La Mer, which the BSO premiered in the U.S. in 1907, only a couple of years after it was written. It's right in the center of the repertoire this orchestra built its reputation on, and last night showed why.

Boston Globe review here (with the title of the piano encore in case you were wondering...), and you can hear highlights from the concert on Sunday afternoon at 3pm on WGBH 89.7 and All-Classical WGBH.

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