Disaster: Boston’s ill-fated series loses its final star
NewsThe Strauss series that the Boston Symphony was meant to take to Europe ran into terminal headwinds.
Now tomorrow’s showcase concert with a celebrated soprano has fallen victim to illness.
Here’s the statement, with a poor replacement.
Regrettably, Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen has withdrawn from the BSO’s April 21 performance due to illness. In place of the originally scheduled Four Last Songs, the all-Strauss program will now include the Symphonic Fantasy on Die Frau ohne Schatten. The remainder of the program, under the direction of BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons, is unchanged.
Boston Symphony Orchestra Program Listing
Thursday, April 21, 8 p.m.
Andris Nelsons, conductor
ALL-STRAUSS PROGRAM
Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks
Symphonic Fantasy on Die Frau ohne Schatten
Symphonia domestica
She was supposed to perform it in Europe as well, as part of the Boston Symphony’s tour, but now there is no tour. It would now just have been a single Boston performance. This is not unexpected.
From the BSO website it appears there would have been 3-4 performances of the all Strauss program, with the Last Songs all 4?, not a single concert!!!!
No, the Four Last Songs were ONLY on the program for April 21.
No, EA, just the single performance scheduled for April 21. Apparently NL is unaware as well that the other two all-Strauss performances this weekend in Boston featured Die Frau ohne Schatten instead of Four Last Songs.
Actually great news since “Frau ohne Schatten” is far more exciting than his swan song.
Frau ohne Schatten is not as good, but it more rarely heard. That’s a plus. I couldn’t make it to the 21st performance anyway. I will get to hear her live eventually. I hope. It took years before I heard Botha.
It’ll be Rudolf Buchbinder instead of Yuja for the Burlesque with the Gewandhaus.
No distraction, no offence, just the music.
I get distracted every time a pianist misses a note or plays a wrong note. Is that fair? I can’t help it. Buchbinder is very distracting for me. But of course we all have different priorities.
Normal business.No disaster.People get sick.Happens all the time.I wonder the BSO couldn´t get a replacement for Lise.There are many sopranos who have the 4 last songs in their rep….On the other hand ….great opportunity for the BSO to shine in the Fantasy…What a night for Tom Rolfs,Tom Siders,Ben Wright and Michael Martin(BSO trumpet section)!!!!
Ms Davidsen is doing too much. And that is a problem.
You could blame her manager, but the manager is chosen by the artist, and more if the artist is of the caliber of Ms Davidsen’s.
One would think the Boston Symphony Orchestra would know the difference between a “performance” and a “concert” and have the (legal) courage and humanity to link problem with solution when addressing its public!
Sorry, I lost you. What does this even mean on planet Earth?
Odd comment, Ives – the BSO could have used ‘concert’ instead, but ‘performance’ in this context is also perfectly appropriate according to standard usage, not to mention my dictionary (“an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment.”). Your implication that the BSO’s wording was legalistic, cowardly, or inhumane (!) is downright silly, friend.