This afternoon's concert by the Boston Symphony Orchestra was incredible. Yet again, I ask: with all the music director openings around the USA, why isn't Daniele Gatti in the running for all of them? I've long loved his recordings of Mahler's Fifth Symphony and Respighi's Roman trilogy, but today's Shostakovich Fifth Symphony confirmed two beliefs: (1) the BSO continues its prominence as one of the great orchestras in the world, and (2) Gatti's intensity and commitment to music is what makes us love going to the symphony. He is fearless as a conductor, and technically beautiful to watch. Conducting from memory, his left hand drew gossamer phrases through the air during the symphony's many lyrical string melodies, contorted with the sardonic changes of texture and melodic twists in the Allegretto and frighteningly conjured up an aural juggernaut at the opening of the finale. The orchestra responded with the most spectacular sounds I've heard in quite sometime. They, too, were taking risks, noticeably pushing the dynamic capacities of their respective instruments to both extremes.
Garrick Ohlsson was a fine soloist in the Schumann concerto before intermission and I was already on cloud nine after his gutsy performance, but he was frankly overshadowed by the music after the pause. The concert is repeated tomorrow at 8pm, and anyone within striking distance of Symphony Hall will be missing out if they're not there.
