Boston Symphony Orchestra
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Lisa Batiashvili, violin
Symphony Hall
Boston, MA
October 14, 2021

Still: Threnody (In Memory of Jan Sibelius)
Strauss: Symphonic Fantasy on Die Frau ohne Schatten
Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47

Encore:
Machavariani: Doluri

The Boston Symphony and music director Andris Nelsons offered a program that not only boasted very fine playing, but presented three selections that while outwardly diverse, revealed fascinating connections. The evening opened with music of William Grant Still, namely his 1965 Threnody, written to elegize Jean Sibelius. Sibelius was familiar with Still’s scores, and had nothing but high praise for the American. The Threnody was brief but of powerful impact. An arresting beginning gave way to a melancholic, Sibelius-like melody. The work proceeded in the manner of a doleful funeral march, punctuated by tolling bells – a touching tribute from one great composer to another.

Continuing last weekend’s exploration of Strauss, the ensemble next turned to the Symphonic Fantasy on Die Frau ohne Schatten in its first BSO performance (as with the Still). Strauss returned to his 1919 opera near the end of his life, completing the present fantasy in 1947, in twenty or so minutes capturing the essence of the opera – much like Liszt did for piano in his major operatic fantasies. A cataclysmic opening statement pointed towards a lush, coloristic workout for the orchestra, seamlessly blending together the opera’s themes in a vibrant tapestry. The low brass were a particular standout as the music surged and swelled in this powerful performance, one that surely made the case for including this all too often overlooked work alongside the composer’s best-known tone poems.

Sibelius’ incomparable Violin Concerto occupied the entire second half, tying the program together: after the opening selection, it was only fitting to include a work by Sibelius himself, and moreover, the concerto’s 1905 premiere in its now standard revised version had no less than Strauss at the podium. Lisa Batiashvili proved to be a choice soloist right from the opening bars. Imbued with a stylistically appropriate Nordic chill, her deeply burnished tone resounded with searing passion, and I was especially struck by her complete control as the music soared far into the violin’s highest register. The massive cadenza, a structural underpinning of the opening movement, further put Batiashvili’s stunning virtuosity on display. After the fire and passion, the central Adagio di molto countered with a muted lyricism. Both soloist and orchestra alike deftly brought out the music’s subtleties while the dance rhythms of the work’s finale were delivered with a singular intensity. As a well-deserved encore, the soloist offered Alexi Machavariani’s Doluri, a jaw-dropping study in double stops and perpetual motion.