Heras-Casado Returns

Pablo Heras-Casado

Next among the contenders in the dock is Pablo Heras-Casado. 

The Spanish conductor puzzles me. He is everywhere doing everything, generating great buzz and press, conducting major orchestras in major musical capitals of the world.Witness this NY Times Profile, a positive NY Times Review from the Mostly Mozart fetival, another favorable NY Times Review of an outdoor Beethoven and Ravel concert, and a glowing early review from the San Francisco Chronicle. 

If he is half as good as his clippings, this is a rising star that would benefit the Houston Symphony, were we to latch onto him. To hear some, he's the second coming of Gustavo Dudamel.

So what's the problem?

Maybe nothing. Maybe I'm just old and cynical. Maybe my earlier review of Heras-Casado was too cranky. Maybe the unsatisfying concert was fluke.

But just because I am old and cynical doesn't mean I'm necessarily wrong--or that I am right. After the jump some reasons why all of us (me included) ought to give Heras-Casado a fresh listen--a fresh and very objective listen.
 

Review: Brahms, Biss and Storgårds

Jonathan Biss

Our guest mystery critic attended the Houston Symphony’s third and final installment in a series of Brahms concerts. This Sunday Matinee featured the Second Piano Concerto in B-flat major and the Third Symphony in F major, with Jonathan Biss at the piano and conductor John Storgårds at the podium.  

Making allowances for the matinee sluggishness, it was still possible to tell something of the performers, including Storgårds. Perhaps most important to the task of conducting, our critic believes that this program exhibited Storgårds’ excellent sense of rhythm and clear understanding of the architecture of the two pieces on the program. Of course, he had tremendous help from an orchestra full of great musicians.

After the jump the guest review.

Guest Mystery Critic

It seems that John Storgårds and  I have difficulty being in the same concert hall at the same time. The last time he was in Houston, I was living it up in New York City with the Berlin Philharmonic. And this time, I have been called away by a family emergency.

I had received so many positive reports about Storgårds' sheer ability and basic excellence that I was really looking forward to seeing him this visit. And now I won't get to review the concert unless and until it is broadcast on Classical 91.7.

But never fear, gentle reader. I have enlisted the ears and good judgment of one of the finest young musicians in our city. Our guest mystery critic will attend the concert in my stead and provide us with a close look at Mr. Storgårds.

How could I not? I really want to find out what he is like, and hearing from this guest mystery critic is this is the next best thing to being there myself.

As for you, if you attend the concert--on either side of the footlights--I invite you to share your impressions in the comments, either anonymously or as attributed to you, whichever you choose. This blog should be an interactive experience.

Because the next music director for OUR orchestra ought not be chosen without more voices being heard. Going from good to great starts with getting the right people on the bus and in the right seats. This seat, on the podium, is an important one.

John Storgårds--A Profile



John Storgårds

This weekend, John Storgårds will conduct the Houston Symphony in an all Brahms concert. In the previous post, I mentioned that that his background bore some of the indications of a potentially fine conductor.

This of course raises the question, "where do conductors come from." These days, they seem to come from everywhere and from many of the wrong places.

After the jump, a quick look at this conductor's path to the podium and some thoughts on what makes a really good conductor.

Coming Soon: My Favorite Things (By Brahms)

For a true baseball fan, life begins on opening day. I suppose it's true for an orchestra fan as well.

Although the Houston Symphony began its season a couple of weeks ago, this coming weekend is "opening day" for me. These are my first concert tickets of the season, and this weekend we'll get to see the first of the guest conductors--the first of "the contenders."

In the dock will be John Storgards, a musician about whom I have received good reports and whose background contains the marks of a conductor who could be the genuine article.

But before we post too much about him, let us focus on the music.

This weekend's program is a continuation of the orchestra's Brahms series. Two programs are available. Both feature Brahms' Second Piano Concerto, which will be combined with either the Brahms' Second or Third Symphony. After the jump is a preview of the Saturday repertoire.

The Contenders -- Now

Last spring I wrote a post on the old blog setting out the list of guest conductors for this season. These men are the presumptive contenders to be the Houston Symphony's new music director.

Since that time, one of their number spurned his engagement with the Houston Symphony for a guest conducting gig in Boston. This in turn caused a shifting in the repetoire to be covered by the remaining guests and by Hans Graf.

So after the jump, a quick look at the updated list of the contenders and their repetoire.

Houston, we have a problem . . .

Yeah, I know. Kind of an obvious title for a Houston-related post by someone who is about to be critical.

But it's true. We do have a problem.

The Houston Symphony, "my" orchestra, is not healthy. 

It hasn't been in quite a long time now.

15 years ago, the seats were full, and we all sat on the edges of those seats anticipating that our breath might be taken away. 

Something unique and world class might happen that very night.

No longer. 

And it breaks my heart.

Please, don't misunderstand me or the blog that is to come. I'm not being critical out of ill-will or spite hatred. Quite the opposite.

I am passionate about orchestral music and my local orchestra, the Houston Symphony.  It is one of the main things that reminds me that I'm human and that there's more to human life than "food and raiment."

I travel to other cities and plan vacations around which orchestras are performing pieces I love. I've been subscribing and otherwise attending Houston Symphony concerts for almost 20 years. And before that, as a young person, I trained for and played in orchestras. I learned to read music at the same time I learned to read words. I've always known and loved music. This was to be my life.

But that's why it hurts so much when the orchestra is not thriving.

There is no single cause, nor is there a simplistic solution. All orchestras wax and wane. But the Houston Symphony has a chance to be what it was--if the orchestra hires the right person to be its new music director.

Hiring the the right music director won't make the orchestra great again. But settling for the wrong one will guarantee stasis at best, or more likely decline.  

Who are the candidates and what are their abilities? Some content from last season is at the old blog URL, but keep watching this space as we find out together.

• You'll see profiles of guest conductors and candidates to become our next music director. 
• You'll see concert previews of repertoire that the orchestra will be performing. 
• You'll see detailed concert reviews after the performances.
• And hopefully, you'll see discussion about what makes an orchestra or a music director truly great.