Review: Dausgaard Conducts, Orchestra Survives

Thomas Dausgaard

My work and travel schedule this week do not permit the type of extended review that I prefer to give.

But it turns out not to be necessary in this case. Before the season started, I would have picked this candidate as perhaps the leader to be the next music director.

Having seen him, he clearly is not.
After the jump a few words concerning why.

Profile: Thomas Dausgaard

Thomas Dausgaard
(photo by Per Morten Abrahamsen)

This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, our Houston Symphony will perform with a leading candidate for the position of its next music director: Thomas Dausgaard.

On the program will be Beethoven's Leonore Overture No. 3, Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 with Stephen Hough at the piano, and Nielsen Symphony No. 4, subtitled The Inextinguishable.

Follow the links for some exemplar performances.

I'm a huge fan of the Nielsen, and Leonore 3 is always a good way to get going with a bang. Liszt makes about three war horse concerti in a row, but they are war horses for a reason.

So get out there, buy some tickets, and listen for yourself.

Looking at the list of contenders before the season, Thomas Dausgaard is one that I would have rated as highly probable to be able to fill the role of music director. But as I've said before, its a very curious business trying to hire an alchemist.

So after the jump, let's take a look at some of what can be known before the music is heard.

Review: Alexander Shelley Conducts Tchaikovsky (and Tchaikovsky)

Alexander Shelley

Patrons who attend the Houston Symphony this week are in for a surprise and a treat. But the treat ought come as no surprise.

The surprise is that Augustin Hadelich was unable to travel to Houston to perform the Bartok violin concerto that had been scheduled. We get an all Tchaikovsky performance conducted by Alexander Shelley. Buy a ticket and go.

The treat is that our soloist, for the second week in a row, comes from the ranks of the orchestra. Concertmaster Frank Huang steps out front on short notice and pulls a War Horse from his hip pocket.

As I said, this treat should come as no surprise. If the orchestra decided to do so, it could program an entire season of concerti performed by members of the orchestra. Lots of people play golf and lots of people make music. But to be in an orchestra on the level of our Houston Symphony is the musical equivalent of aspiring to play on the PGA Tour.

"These guys are good."

(Ladies too, obviously, but the PGA marketing tag line is not a good fit for them.)

Shelley's performance in this mini-crisis was much more solid and impressive than his visit last spring. After the jump, a detailed review.