All stories by Jonathan Blumhofer on BroadwayStars

Saturday, May 4, 2019

Classical Music Reviews: The Boston Symphony’s 2018-19 Season-closing Concerts by Jonathan Blumhofer

The final two concerts of the BSO's season were in the orchestra's sweet spot. The post Classical Music Reviews: The Boston Symphony’s 2018-19 Season-closing Concerts appeared first on The…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 03:04PM
Sunday, April 28, 2019

Concert Music Review: The Boston Philharmonic plays Ives and Mahler by Jonathan Blumhofer

This performance of Ives' Third was the most welcome entry in the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra's celebratory season – a beautifully considered, powerfully rendered account of this too-neg…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 08:26AM
Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Classical CD Reviews: François Xavier-Roth conducts Berlioz, Yan Pascal Tortelier conducts Gounod, and JoAnn Falletta conducts Respighi by Jonathan Blumhofer

A freshly thought through, energetically executed Berlioz disc; a lovely album that contains excellent performances of underperformed and unfamiliar repertoire that deserves to be heard and …

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 07:46AM
Monday, April 8, 2019

Classical CD Reviews: Bernstein Complete Piano Music, “Chaplin’s Smile,” and Parry Piano Trios by Jonathan Blumhofer

A trio of fine discs: Leonard Berstein's music for solo piano, Charlie Chaplin's songs, and Charles Hubert Hastings Parry's trios. The post Classical CD Reviews: Bernstein Complete Piano Mus…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 09:44AM
Sunday, April 7, 2019

Classical CD Reviews: François-Xavier Roth conducts Mahler 3 and Benjamin Zander conducts Mahler 9 by Jonathan Blumhofer

Benjamin Zander conducts a conspicuously fine Mahler Nine; François-Xavier Roth’s new account of Mahler’s Symphony no. 3 proffers nothing particularly special. The post Classical CD Rev…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 09:26AM
Monday, April 1, 2019

Arts Commentary: The Boston Symphony’s 2019-20 Season Announcement by Jonathan Blumhofer

The fact is, the BSO’s 2019-20 season doesn’t risk enough and lacks a true spirit of adventure. The post Arts Commentary: The Boston Symphony’s 2019-20 Season Announcement appeared fir…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 07:56AM
Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Classical Music Review: San Francisco Symphony at Symphony Hall by Jonathan Blumhofer

While the orchestra’s program was almost defiantly canonical, it was played with such lightness and energy that you could forgive its disappointing safeness. The post Classical Music Revi…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 09:03PM
Thursday, March 14, 2019

Classical Concert Review: Boston Musica Viva plays Hoffer, Smith, and Greene by Jonathan Blumhofer

Richard Pittman led the core players of BMV in a confident, evocative reading of the music. The post Classical Concert Review: Boston Musica Viva plays Hoffer, Smith, and Greene appeared fi…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 05:30PM
Friday, March 8, 2019

Classical Concert Review: Thomas Adès conducts Liszt, Adès, and Tchaikovsky by Jonathan Blumhofer

The BSO recently announced an extension to artistic partner Thomas Adès's contract. It is lucky to have him. So are the rest of us. The post Classical Concert Review: Thomas Adès conducts …

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 12:11PM
Friday, March 1, 2019

Classical CD Reviews: Colin Davis’s “Berlioz Odyssey,” “Bernard Haitink: Portrait,” and “The Age of Revolution” by Jonathan Blumhofer

Anniversaries are both the bane and the lifeblood of the classical music industry as, for better or worse, three new box sets remind. The post Classical CD Reviews: Colin Davis’s “Berlio…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 08:37AM
Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Classical Music CD Reviews: Juan de Arriaga’s Orchestral Music, Lortzing Overtures, and Boieldieu’s Piano Concerto et al. by Jonathan Blumhofer

Francois-Adrien The post Classical Music CD Reviews: Juan de Arriaga’s Orchestral Music, Lortzing Overtures, and Boieldieu’s Piano Concerto et al. appeared first on The Arts Fuse.

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 08:59PM
Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Classical Music CD Reviews: Michael Gordon’s “The Unchanging Sea” and Alban Berg’s “Wozzeck” by Jonathan Blumhofer

Michael Gordon's score for The Unchanging Sea works better as soundtrack than a concert work; Harmonia mundi releases a DVD of William Kentridge's powerful staging of Alban Berg's Wozzeck. T…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 08:11PM
Monday, February 25, 2019

Concert Review: Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra plays Britten, Schwantner, and Holst by Jonathan Blumhofer

This Sunday’s BPYO concert tied together a number of highly personal strands, presenting music connected to two of conductor Benjamin Zander’s mentors -- Benjamin Britten and Gustav Hols…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 11:33AM
Sunday, February 24, 2019

Concert Review: Boston Modern Orchestra Project plays John Corigliano by Jonathan Blumhofer

John Corigliano’s take on goodbyes is, if not exactly bitter, then full of sorrow: few happy memories to be had here. The post Concert Review: Boston Modern Orchestra Project plays John Co…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 02:00PM
Friday, February 8, 2019

Classical Music Concert Review: Boston Symphony plays Wilson, Szymanowski, and Copland by Jonathan Blumhofer

Conducting Lumina, Andris Nelsons was entirely in his element, capably drawing out the music’s shimmering gestures -- string flourishes, brass fanfares, woodwind filigrees, and the like �…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 01:48PM
Monday, February 4, 2019

Classical CD Reviews: Gerstein plays Busoni, Josefowicz plays Zimmermann, and Välhälä plays Szymanowski by Jonathan Blumhofer

Pianist Kirill Gerstein's take on Busoni is exhilarating; the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra serves the forceful music of composer Bernd Alois Zimmermann, and violinist Elina Välhälä do…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 10:06AM
Sunday, February 3, 2019

In Memoriam — Sanford Sylvan (1953-2019) by Jonathan Blumhofer

Hearing Sanford Sylvan sing made one rich: spiritually, emotionally, musically. The post In Memoriam — Sanford Sylvan (1953-2019) appeared first on The Arts Fuse.

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 11:42AM
Friday, February 1, 2019

Classical CD Reviews: Florence Price’s Symphonies nos. 1 & 4, George Antheil’s Symphonies nos. 3 & 6, and 20th-century Russian Orchestral by Jonathan Blumhofer

Fine recordings of symphonies by neglected American composers Florence Price and George Antheil; and a curious album from Cornelius Meister and the ORF Radio-Sinfonieorchester Wien. The post…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 04:48PM
Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Classical CD Reviews: Riccardo Muti’s Italian Masterpieces, Thierry Fischer conducts Saint-Saëns, and Tasmin Little Plays… by Jonathan Blumhofer

Richard Muti draws playing of full-blooded passion from Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Thierry Fischer conducts Camille Saint-Saëns with a sure hand, and violinist Tasmin Little’s new record…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 09:42AM
Saturday, December 29, 2018

Commentary: Best and Worst Classical Recordings of 2018 by Jonathan Blumhofer

Our critic's year-end tally of the classical albums that, in looking back over 2018, stand tallest – plus a few that didn’t make the bar.

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 01:54PM
Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Classical Music Reviews: AEQUA, Philip Glass’s Symphony no. 11, and the Neave Trio plays Piazzolla by Jonathan Blumhofer

Aequa is one of a year’s standout new-music album. Philip Glass's Symphony no. 11 suggests that the composer has more than a few tricks yet up his sleeve. And Neave Trio's Celebrating Piaz…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 10:32AM
Saturday, December 22, 2018

Classical CD Reviews: Spades of Debussy at 100 by Jonathan Blumhofer

An impressive collection of nine new releases (seven of which are reviewed here). While some might not displace the classic recordings of Debussy already out there, this gathering offers som…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 11:04PM
Friday, December 21, 2018

Music Commentary: Top Classical Performances of 2018 by Jonathan Blumhofer

Our critic's twelve favorite classical music performances that he reviewed this past year.

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 10:36AM
Monday, December 10, 2018

Classical Music CD Reviews: H&H’s Haydn & Mozart, Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony, and Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette by Jonathan Blumhofer

Handel & Haydn Society's Haydn and Mozart is about as good as it gets; Martyn Brabbins’ recording of a Sea Symphony is one of the year’s best releases; and for elegance and technica…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 01:32AM
Saturday, December 8, 2018

Classical CD Reviews: Bavouzet plays Mozart, Lintu conducts Lutoslawski, and Morlot’s Berlioz Requiem by Jonathan Blumhofer

Pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet delivers some fine Mozart; conductor Hannu Lintu brings rhythmic energy and textural transparency to the music of Witold Lutoslawski; Ludovic Morlot and the Seat…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 02:06PM
Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Classical Music CD Review: American Romantics, Mozart Sonatas for fortepiano & violi, & Brahms Cello Sonatas by Jonathan Blumhofer

American String Quartet's disc features the premiere recording of Robert Sirota’s String Quartet no. 2, American Pilgrimage.

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 06:54PM
Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Concert Review: Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra at Symphony Hall by Jonathan Blumhofer

Without question, this BPYO rendition of Shostakovich Ten was one of the most urgent and necessary of any symphonic score I’ve heard all year.

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 10:04AM
Saturday, November 17, 2018

Classical Music Preview: Tanglewood 2019 Season Announcement by Jonathan Blumhofer

Next summer promises to be a safe one, musically, at Tanglewood.

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 11:32AM
Saturday, November 3, 2018

Classical Music Review: Boston Symphony Orchestra plays Haydn, Turnage, and Elgar by Jonathan Blumhofer

As good an interpreter of large-scale forms as he’s becoming, Andris Nelsons has always been a terrific conductor of new music.

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 10:24AM
Thursday, November 1, 2018

Classical CDs Review: Suppé Overtures, Bronsart and Urspruch Piano Concertos, and “Destination Rachmaninov” by Jonathan Blumhofer

Pianist Daniil Trifonov's Rachmaninov album is magnificent; the Münchner Rundfunkorchester do right by Franz von Suppé's overtures, and the Romantic Piano Concerto series continues to unea…

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 09:42AM
Monday, October 29, 2018

Classical CD Reviews: Hilary Hahn plays Bach and Sakari Oramo conducts Langgaard by Jonathan Blumhofer

Hilary Hahn supplies a disc of immaculate Bach; conductor Sakari Oramo and the Vienna Philharmonic play music by Rued Langgaard to the hilt.

SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 10:12AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards