Andris Nelsons in Boston and Lucerne

Andris Nelsons has now taken charge of the Boston Symphony. The video comes from a concert given by Nelsons and the BSO this past July at Tanglewood. It includes excerpts from two Dvorak works: the Symphony No. 8 and the Violin Concerto, the latter with Anne-Sophie Mutter as soloist. By all accounts the new BSO music director has been warmly received by audiences, critics and members of the orchestra.

Meanwhile, Nelsons has been very active in Europe too. When Claudio Abbado passed away earlier this year his Lucerne Festival Orchestra was left wondering what to do. The orchestra had been created for Abbado. Should it be disbanded, or carry on with another conductor? The answer, at least for this season, was to invite Andris Nelsons to take over Abbado's concerts. Abbado was beloved my members of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and there was some doubt whether they would warm to a replacement. So far the reaction to Nelsons concerts in Lucerne has been very positive. No announcement yet for the long term. It was recently announced that Nelsons will be stepping down as music director of the City of Birmingham Orchestra at the end of the 2014-2015 season.

Paul E. Robinson