Saturday, February 14, 2026
Boston Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA
Glad of the chance to do concert catch-up. Luciano Berio’s arrangement of Boccherini’s ‘retreat’ piece receives a quick-paced outing, played deftly by the Boston Symphony. He’s written quite a few pieces, Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Horn Concerto, for Stefan Dohr (Berliner Philharmoniker) – 2025, Lucerne Festival – calls from afar, is dramatic and romantic, engaging in its changes of mood, imaginatively orchestrated, and offers high-note challenges and extravagant roulades to Dohr over twenty-five minutes, the soloist whooping in triumph at the end in what I assume was the third Boston performance (the American premiere being two days ago). Also ‘Romantic’, by name and nature, is Bruckner Four, neatly tied to the planning by opening with a horn solo (Richard Sebring) to launch a reading of a work that Salonen knows well (and recorded in LA for Sony), although his experience of it doesn’t prevent some jerky tempo changes and the occasional suspicion of impatience with Bruckner’s spacious design. Yet overall, if not fully subscribing to the music’s spiritual quotient, Salonen’s on-the-move approach avoids any charge of indulgence, particularly pertinent to the second movement, followed by a thrilling Scherzo (Boston brass having a field day) and contrasting laidback Trio. The Finale was got on with, boots on, not the most awe-struck venture, although it was clear as to what can be released in this music, and the closing depths-to-mountaintop traversal had a majesty not always apparent elsewhere – maybe consciously plotted thus by Salonen.
Luigi BOCCHERINI & Luciano BERIO Ritirata notturna di Madrid
Esa-Pekka SALONEN Horn Concerto (American premiere; BSO co-commission)
Anton BRUCKNER Symphony No. 4, Romantic