Bach by arrangement: Houston Symphony under Esa-Pekka Salonen

By Kurt Gottschalk, 28 March 2021

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Reviewed at Jones Hall, Houston on 27 March 2021

Bach, Bist du bei mir, BWV508 (orch. Klemperer)

Webern, Fuga (2. Ricercata) a 6 voci aus "Das Musikalische Opfer"

Berio, Contrapunctus XIX (Die Kunst der Fuge)

Bach, Violin partita no. 3 in E major, BWV1006: Preludio

Salonen, FOG

Beethoven, Symphony no. 1 in C major, Op.21

Yoonshin Song, Violin

Houston Symphony

Esa-Pekka Salonen, Conductor

Showpieces star in Houston Symphony’s memorable season opener

Phillip Nones, 20th September

Celebration is on the menu at the Houston Symphony Orchestra’s season opening weekend of concerts, conducted by Juraj Valčuha.

****1

Death and lunacy in Juraj Valčuha's Houston Symphony program

Kurt Gottschalk, 15th February

A mad March hare, a murdered child, a hypochondriac prince, and a roomful of dead wives make for a stellar concert by the Houston Symphony Orchestra.

*****

Brilliant Bach from Jane Glover and the Houston Symphony

Sam Jacobson, 3rd April

The Houston Symphony showed the many sides of Bach in a festive performance over the Easter weekend.

***11

Full-bodied Beethoven from Yefim Bronfman and Fabien Gabel in Houston

Phillip Nones, 6th March

Fabien Gabel and the Houston Symphony Orchestra present memorable Beethoven performances that are solidly in the Austro-German tradition.

****1

A successful Beethoven 8 in Houston

Laurence Vittes, 30th January

Brinton Averil Smith, the Symphony's principal cello, approached Haydn's D major Concerto with bold courage and passionate, if inconsistently manufactured, strokes.

***11

A confused “Resurrection” at the Houston Symphony

Sydney Boyd, 13th September

In a failed mash-up, the Houston Symphony performed only the first movement (the three-minute “Prelude: Maestoso”) of Ives’ Fourth Symphony and continued attacca into the 80 minutes of Mahler's "Resurrection."

**111

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Kurt Gottschalk

Kurt Gottschalk is a journalist and author based in New York City. His writings on contemporary and classical music, jazz and improvisation have been published in outlets throughout Europe and America and he has two volumes of short fiction to his name. He produced and hosted the Miniature Minotaurs radio programme on WFMU and currently hosts Afternoon New Music on WKCR.