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April Showers Bring…Spring Concerts?

As Spring rolls through, I’m finding that the streets of Boston are becoming more and more bustling with visitors and residents alike—a fact that is painfully apparent due to the lack of street parking. This can only mean that the weather is getting warmer and days brighter. And what better way to celebrate than with a night out to one of symphony area’s many classical performances. I thought I’d take this opportunity to give my preview of the eclectic performances happening in just the first 2 weeks of April within a 2 block radius.

Boston Symphony Orchestra

On the weekend of April 57, the BSO will be staging a performance of one of the most famous epics ever written—Brahms’ A German Requiem. The work is written for soprano and baritone soloists, chorus and orchestra.  The BSO will be joined by the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, English-Austrian soprano Anna Prohaska and German bass-baritone Hanno Müller-Brachmann. Brahms credits the composition of this work as an ode to Robert Schumann’s troubled later life, and those uneasy  aesthetics come through quite profoundly in most of its performances. This is a must-see program, if not because you’re a Brahms fan, at least because of this composition’s sheer magnitude.

 

Guest soloist Anna Prohaska (photo courtesy of BSO.org)

Boston Modern Orchestra Project

The BMOP will be hosting it’s own evening of impressive works which is being deemed “Dual Passions.” The program includes a performance of Daivd Lang’s Little Match Girl Passion—a piece that was written in 2008 and earned the composer the Pulitzer Prize that same year.  The piece is scored for 4 voices and a few percussion instruments. They will follow up with Arvo Pärt’s Passio Domini Nostri Jesu Christi secundum Joannem, which will be performed by the Harvard-Radcliffed Collegium Musicum chorus. The evening is a rare occurance of sacred music presented by BMOP, but don’t let that fool you. It’s sure to be a progressive, innovative evening of music.

The BSO performs at historic Symphony Hall and tickets range from $32$120. The BMOP presents its performances at NEC’s Jordan Hall and ticket prices vary. Be sure to keep an eye on Jordan Hall’s full calendar. They usually host a plethora of events free of charge

So, whether your musical appetite is looking for more standard fare or you’re in the experimental mood, early April on Huntington Ave has the lineup for you. Dust off those spring outfits and head into the city. Nothing beats an evening at the symphony.