In Thursday’s (7/26) Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Massachusetts), Andrew L. Pincus writes about the mystique surrounding the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s music-director search. “New York and Boston critics are touting Andris Nelsons, the Latvian who made his Tanglewood debut at the anniversary gala and in a Stravinsky-Brahms program the next night. Maybe he’ll be the one. But, purely on the basis of performance, Israeli-born Asher Fisch, whose BSO debut took place Saturday in an all-Wagner program, seemed the more promising candidate. But that’s the problem with the guessing game: How can you tell? Nelsons had the more complex task: three pieces—one with chorus—in different styles. Fisch, a veteran opera conductor, was in his element with Wagner. So who’s better? How the concert sounds is only one test of a conductor. … How good is the candidate at programming? How broad is his or her repertoire? How willing to get involved with the Tanglewood Music Center? How good at meet-and-greet stuff with trustees, big-time donors, the public, the press? … Meanwhile, managing director Mark Volpe has said the search will go on with conductors who appear before the BSO during its 2012-13 subscription season. That should settle the matter for a while, but probably won’t.”
Posted July 30, 2012
