Saraste finds beauty in tragedy with the Dallas Symphony

By Sam Jacobson, 29 April 2023

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“the orchestra offered mighty, Texas-sized crescendos for maniacal climaxes”

Reviewed at Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas on 27 April 2023

Sibelius, Pohjola's Daughter, Op.49

Shostakovich, Symphony no. 8 in C minor, Op.65

Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Conductor

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Mutter dazzles in John Williams concerto at the Elbphilharmonie

Alexander Hall, 11th June

Fabio Luisi and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra continue their European tour, dropping anchor in Hamburg for Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony and a John Williams concerto written for the star German violinist.

***11

Grimaud and McGegan perform Mozart masterpieces in Dallas

Zoltán Szabó, 29th January

Two minor key works, performed before a – limited – live audience in Dallas, and streamed online.

***11

A surprise debut in Dallas

Bachtrack reviewer, 4th October

With an artistic director forced to cancel in the middle of a weekend of concerts, duty called on his assistant conductor - and she clearly had done her homework.

***11

French plus one: the Dallas Symphony in music of Fauré, Mozart, and Ravel

Bachtrack reviewer, 1st March

Extreme dynamics explored in Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé and Boléro presented by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Jaap van Zweden, complemented by Louis Lortie's Mozart.

****1

Dallas Symphony Orchestra with Matthias Goerne

Bachtrack reviewer, 25th January

Dallas Symphony Orchestra, led by Jaap van Zweden and featuring baritone Matthias Goerne, performed music by Britten, Mahler, and Brahms, in a concert where not enough was ultimately said, despite a strong return from Goerne.

***11

An odd couple: Stravinsky and Saint-Saëns at the Dallas Symphony

Bachtrack reviewer, 19th October

The Dallas Symphony, now in its sixth season under Music Director Jaap van Zweden, welcomed his predecessor Andrew Litton back to conduct a weekend of Stravinsky and Saint-Saëns (music from two ballets and a violin concerto, respectively).

***11

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Sam Jacobson

Sam Jacobson has been writing for Bachtrack since 2015 and is currently in Pittsburgh, having previously lived throughout the Midwest. A keen traveler, he endeavors to see all the great orchestras and opera houses across the US and abroad. Outside of music, he works as a software engineer. He also maintains a blog which can be read here.

Jukka-Pekka Saraste finds beauty in tragedy with the Dallas Symphony