Because so few conductors look beyond the tried-and-true favorites among Mozart’s symphonies, it’s rare to encounter in the concert hall any of the composer’s symphonies that we haven’t already heard. For his final concerts of the BSO’s 2008-09 subscription season, Music Director James Levine—who recorded all of Mozart’s symphonies with the Vienna Philharmonic in the 1980s—leads three programs that offer a mix of early and middle Mozart symphonies—some of them never previously played by the BSO—followed by the great final trilogy of the symphonies 39, 40, and the Jupiter. This week’s two programs—the first on February 12 and 13, the second on February 14 and 17—offer a mix of works that show Mozart using and expanding upon the musical and stylistic trends of predecessors and contemporaries as he made the symphony his own. These concerts will be followed on February 19, 20, and 21 with Mozart’s last three symphonies, performed in a single program.

http://www.bso.org/bso/mods/perf_detail.jsp?pid=prod2220058

http://www.bso.org/bso/mods/perf_detail.jsp?pid=prod2220061

http://www.bso.org/bso/mods/perf_detail.jsp?pid=prod2220063

I did not get tickets, well, leaving a few blocks from symphony Hall I can always get them. I think it will be sold out but I in many instance enjoy the drama of getting the tickets at “the door”. However, when the season was announced I had a hesitation to go for Levine’s Mozart program.

Do not take me wrong. I do appreciate the Levine’s Mozart and some of the things that Levine did in MET it was the best operatic Mozart I ever heard. Still, I have a very straggle supposition, perhaps the stupid one, which many great musicians have re-discovered on ability to play Mozart with a “different level” of understanding right before the end of their career.  So, considering the Mr. Levine health I kind of cautious with my desire for the February Mozart program to turn out to be a “revelation”… So, I will be listening and record it but I do not know how to leverage my expectation to it.

The Levine’s Mozart was not exiting, the last week and this week… I hope today on Saturday, the last convert of the series with the most famed Mozart symphony the BSO will show off something more interesting.

However, today was something very remarkable that made me willing to kiss myself in the ass. I managed yesterday after word to catch the second part of BSO matinee concert with Jupiter Symphony. I was unpleased how blended the BSO sounded and despite that they played more or less well but it was probably the tedious Mozart I heard…

I got home, my playback was recording. I decided to play the recorded files. Here is where Macondo showed itself off! There was no slight tiny proportion of added excitement and it was absolutely accurate rendition of the tedious. It was not only the tedious but I felt during the concert the glooming tedious. The Macondo did exactly that, with the absolutely same depth of glooming and with no added pointers of interest or significance. Good speakers!

Romy the Cat wrote:

The Levine’s Mozart was not exiting, the last week and this week… I hope today on Saturday, the last convert of the series with the most famed Mozart symphony the BSO will show off something more interesting. However, today was something very remarkable that made me willing to kiss myself in the ass. I managed yesterday after word to catch the second part of BSO matinee concert with Jupiter Symphony. I was unpleased how blended the BSO sounded and despite that they played more or less well but it was probably the tedious Mozart I heard… I got home, my playback was recording. I decided to play the recorded files. Here is where Macondo showed itself off! There was no slight tiny proportion of added excitement and it was absolutely accurate rendition of the tedious. It was not only the tedious but I felt during the concert the glooming tedious. The Macondo did exactly that, with the absolutely same depth of glooming and with no added pointers of interest or significance. Good speakers!

So, am plan owe my recording of it and I have to admit that it is like two different orals were playing on Friday and Saturday.  The last nigh play was dynamic, enthusiastic, with no sense of lethargy, and with no banded sound from orchestra - it is it very good Mozart play indeed. I in fact would like to BE at this concerto… So, since the Boston symphony and Jordan Hall are block way and the concerts start at the same time  then is I skip the idiotic Gabriela Montero  play her Rachmaninoff and sit at BSO fist part and BFO second part then it would be unspeakably “perfect Saturday”…

The problem that you never know…

I think it shall be some kind of gambling option available for bid if concerts will be interesting… Or perhaps buying some kind of insurance for it… Do I need to put a smiley face?

… the barbarism of broadcasts industry takes over. I found the Levine’s Saturday play was very good very good, even those I am not as exuberant as Clark is about it. I like what Levine BSO did but I would like to have it more fundamental and more Mozart-tragic if you will. Levine played it more recreational then I would like. I understand that it is Mozart not Shostakovich but I am saying what I would like to hear… Also, I agree that BSO is not equipped to play Mozart in “dramatic” way; they are too dry and too institutionalized. I think if you hear it again then you will hear a lot of what I do not like. I record it and I might give it to you to re-listen (there were a lot of technical problem with BSO play as well).

Ok, now back to my bitching about the barbarism of broadcasts industry. The Levine’s play on that Saturday was an event. And the WCRB was the ONLY station that cares this even live. Unless the BSO decide to release it publicly the Levine’s take on the Mozart’s 39, 40 and 41 symphonies will be lost for good for most of the audiences. The WCRB live broadcast was the only one window that make wide public to hear that play. So, I am taking about the responsibility of WCRB as a medium for the preservation of important Boston cultural event. If you are a diamond cuter and you cut a 500 carats stone then you would be careful do not screw it up. The WCRB kept running their barbaric compression during the broadcast, pleasing the car listeners in South Massachusetts drive-in McDonalds. Very sad…

BSO just announced the Tanglewood schedule and it looks like Levin will take over the last Mozart symphonies against in July

http://www.bso.org/bso/mods/perf_detail.jsp?pid=prod2880020

Funny, but I think that the dry and in a way Mozart-boring BSO might be more interesting in open air.

…do not miss today:

2:02pm
Mozart: Symphony No 36 in C major, K. 425, "Linz"
Boston Symphony Orchestra/Serge Koussevitzky; Recorded at Tanglewood, August 16, 1949 (RCA 78 RPM DM-1354)

2:27pm
Mozart: Symphony No. 33: 3rd movement
Boston Symphony Orchestra/Serge Koussevitzky; Recorded at Tanglewood, August 15, 1946 (RCA 78 RPM M-1369)

2:35pm
Mozart: Symphony No. 39 in E-flat major, K. 543
Boston Symphony Orchestra/James Levine; Live from Tanglewood (Live broadcast, not commercially available)

3:08pm
Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550
Boston Symphony Orchestra/James Levine; Live from Tanglewood (Live broadcast, not commercially available)

4:04pm
Mozart: Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551, "Jupiter"
Boston Symphony Orchestra/James Levine; Live from Tanglewood (Live broadcast, not commercially available)

4:40pm
Mozart: Clarinet Quintet in A major, Kochel 581 (conclusion)
Boston Symphony Chamber Players; Mozart Chamber Music for Winds and Strings (BSO Classics 0601)

The BSO now is not in great shape but… it is live and you never know. Today is the first Sunday of the year with good weather; I hope the BSO will celebrate it….