WHEN Andris Nelsons takes the podium for his first official concert as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) on September 27th, it will mark an end to more than three years in the wilderness for a venerable musical institution. Having been troubled by the ill health of its previous musical director, James Levine, the orchestra endured a long interregnum of guest conductors while a replacement was sought. The selection of the ebullient Mr Nelsons seems calculated to banish memories of that period.When his appointment was announced, Bostonians celebrated in characteristic fashion. June 25th 2013 was designated “Andris Nelsons Day” in the city and he was invited to throw the first pitch at Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox baseball team. The ritual was symbolic on many levels. The presence of the six-foot-two (1.88-metre) Mr Nelsons on the pitching mound seemed to signal the start of a new, more vigorous era at the BSO where musty halls would open up to let in sunshine and a boisterous crowd.Even before the abrupt ending of Mr Levine’s tenure in 2011, the orchestra had suffered on account of his poor health...
from The Economist: Books and arts http://ift.tt/1stMgi1
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