Artistry, Accessibility, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Homage to the Underrepresented

With classical statues, red carpeting, golden lighting, and beautiful architecture, the Boston Symphony Orchestra performed against a setting of grandeur last weekend, amplified by the buzzing energy of the audience ready to be dazzled by the week’s repertoire.

Alongside the masterful conducting of Music Director Andris Nelson, the symphony curated an expansive sound. The program consisted of Ethel Smyth’s “Overture to ‘The Wreckers,’” Max Bruch’s “Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor,” and Mendelssohn’s “Symphony No. 5,” titled “Reformation.” During the matinee performance, listeners of all ages entered into the spacious home of the BSO, Symphony Hall.

The concert opened with the overture to Smyth’s first opera, “The Wreckers.” Set against the historical backdrop of Smyth’s feminist politics, the overture elicited a sense of tension in its chronicling of nature’s power through the sea against the institutional power of the church.

Tritones permeate the overture, with the English horn’s melodies of folk songs tying together Smyth’s musical genius and political statement. The cohesive sound brought the piece to life, with ebbs and flows and commands of long trills in the strings adding to the dynamic phrasing of the piece. With the grounding of dynamics, Nelson led players to the overture’s dramatic and heroic conclusion.

Bruch’s first violin concerto followed with a feeling of great anticipation in the audience. The concerto was performed by Randall Goosby, the youngest winner of the Sphinx Concerto Competition, a contest which aims to increase diversity in the arts, according to its website.

Goosby savored the phrasing and introduction in the opening movement’s first solo with incredible bow control and sheer skill in the clarity of his double-stops. With a strong bite that asserted his confidence in the concerto, he shined through beautifully rendered “sul G” passages with perfectly metronomic scales. Goosby’s artistry radiated through the second movement with a vivid vibrato that captured the colors of the piece throughout.

Yet the third movement — a grand finale with growing crescendos from the exposition to the main theme — felt quite rushed, lacking clarity in passages with difficult, intense running sequences. However, Goosby’s spotless intonation and tempo allowed him to regain control of the musical narrative and elicit a cheerful atmosphere in triplet passages.

A surprise encore performance then moved the crowd. Performing Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson’s “Louisiana Blues Strut,” Goosby commanded the American style of the solo piece with confidence to gain the support of the crowd.

Following an intermission, the BSO performed its last piece — Mendelssohn’s “Symphony No. 5” titled “Reformation.” In the opening, Nelson’s graceful and precise baton work resulted in synchronization among the orchestra. Call and response melodies in perfect harmony set the stage for the second movement, a light scherzo with bright pizzicatos that balanced out the richness of the lower string voices.

The third movement, though composed like an aria for upper strings, was completely transcended by the ending flute solo. Unlike most modern performances, Nelson paid homage to historical precedence; instead of ending on an open G-string, the orchestra showcased the resonant sound of the high winds through an incredible cadenza. This led directly into the fourth movement, a syncopated theme with fugues, arpeggios, and scales that culminated in the finale reminiscent of Martin Luther’s chorale.

It was an afternoon of musicality and artistic depth. From the evocative performance of Smyth’s “Overture to ‘The Wreckers’” to the virtuosic performance by violinist Randall Goosby in Bruch’s “Violin Concerto No. 1” to the contrasting melodies of Mendelssohn’s “Symphony No. 5, ‘Reformation,’” the concert was a testament to the power of diverse repertoire and inclusive artistry. The concert not only showcased the BSO’s formidable talent but also highlighted the enduring relevance of classical music in fostering cultural dialogue and social change, a belief that is necessary in an ever changing artform.

—Staff writer Vikram M. Kolli can be reached at vikram.kolli@thecrimson.com.