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In the Forum: Musical Discussions
In the Thread: I hate, hate, hate, hate Boston Symphony!
Post Subject: O, Fortuna – you turned back to us!Posted by Romy the Cat on: 11/9/2008
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This week Boston was blessed by Carmina Burana, the Orff’s and the original one

http://www.bso.org/images/program_notes/songs_from_burana.pdf

http://www.bso.org/images/program_notes/carmina_burana.pdf

I was listening the Friday’s live broadcast over internet from my work and I truly hated. The BSO was lead by Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos with Tanglewood Festival Chorus and PALS Children's Chorus.  When I got home I was lightening the life FM recording that I scheduled and I got softer on what BSO did. It was kind of strangely slow and strangely “gray” but listening the full range recording and here how “low” the orchestra was tunes the Frühbeck de Burgos tempo was more justifiable. It still was boring reading but not as complete waste as it was over internet.

Today I when to here it live. It was strange. BSO played well; they demonstrated that they are good professionals that can play without any serious conducting. I so not like the Frühbeck de Burgos reading. The BSO render score well but it was very unexciting music and Frühbeck de Burgos did nothing to change anything.  The great Tanglewood Chorus sounded dull with boring-accented made recititives. The only interesting character on stage was baritone Christian Gerhaher. Then as the work progressed BSO and Tanglewood Chorus got broken in. and the end of the work was slightly better, in fact partially even very good.

What however bothered me tremendously is that the whole sound of BSO got MUCH worth for the last month. I have already complained into my FM station that this live broadcasts  started to sound like crap making BSO to sound anti-abrasive and very flat but for the last month each concert I attend in Symphony Hole I experience the very same boorishly- anti-porcupine  sound. The last time what it was good – full-colorful and full of texture it was under James Levine one month ago. Since then everything when south.

I heard that local acoustic "specialists" from:

http://www.hps4000.com/

do some modification in Symphony Hall. Is possible that they screw with something that is kills BSO sound?

The Cat

PS: If you wish then for folks who can play 88/24 I can post a fragment from the today's concert where BSO was more or less exiting….

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