Boston Symphony Orchestra

Beethoven’s Best

by Lucy Opalka

            Music is stirring. The Boston Symphony Orchestra certainly proves that point.

            The Orchestra, with Christoph Von Dohnanyi conducting, did an all-Beethoven program. They performed “Leonore” Overture Number 3 first. Afterwards, they did Piano Concertos Number One in C, Opus 15 and Number 2 in B-flat, Opus 19. The soloist was Yefim Bronfman.

            The Overture was my favorite part of the performance. Each member played exceptionally well. Also, the piece was a great as it was emotional, and was a good introduction to the program. The piece starts out slowly but grows to be playful with a flute soloist. The orchestra did a fantastic job with their “call and response”, or timing with each other. This was seen especially between the woodwinds and string instruments.  The balance between instruments was always impeccable.

            The first piano concerto was a little dry for me. Although it was executed very well, it did not reach the level of emotion as the other pieces did. Mr. Bronfman showed how skilled he is at the piano. It provided interest, but I found it a little dull at times. But I can still only commend the placement of the piece, right before the intermission. This stopped you from leaving the performance on a bad “note”, pardon the pun.

            The last piece, Piano Concerto Number Two in B-flat was the best piece. It lured the audience in, and was completely captivating. Mr. Bronfman showed off his ability to blend with the other instruments, and his ability to add character to the piece. The best movements were definitely the last two, the Adagio and Rondo. Also, the horn and bass players stood out to me in this piece, but only in a way that flattered the performance.

            The Boston Symphony Orchestra did Ludwig van Beethoven justice. They grasped the technical aspects of his music, such as the dynamics. But they also brought his work to a whole new level; they added emotion. They made the music personal, which is never easy. Altogether, this was a spectacular performance.