Opening night at Symphony Hall

Opening night of the Boston Symphony Orchestra's 134th season, Symphony Hall. I am in the back row of the top left balcony next to the proscenium, which means I am practically sitting over the violins. I have a direct sight line to the conductor's profile, but since he lavishes most of his attention on the violins I get to see his face most of the time. It is a vicarious way to experience the music as he experiences it.

At the podium is associate conductor Marcelo Lehninger. He is a young Brazilian who had previously been the BSO's assistant conductor for several seasons. These titles are just a fancy way of saying he has to be available to fill in for an indisposed conductor at a moment's notice. His most notable feat a few years ago was stepping in for an injured James Levine, and then leading the BSO in their Carnegie Hall performances. There is no emergency tonight; Lehninger is the scheduled conductor.

The first item on tonight's program is Mozart's Sinfonia concertante in E flat, featuring John Ferrillo on oboe, William Hudgins on clarinet, James Sommerville on horn and Richard Svoboda on bassoon. The four have little solos and ensembles throughout, but at one point the conductor stops conducting as the quartet carries on by itself. Lehninger is clearly enjoying the music-making, and the soloists share smiles after favorite passages.

I turn my head to the hall during the performance and see a thousand spell-bound faces (with a few obligatory sleepers). Sixteen plaster statues of Greek gods keep watch over the audience; Symphony Hall is truly a meeting of arts and humanity.

The second item, Bachianas brasileiras No 5 by Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, calls for greatly reduced forces. The orchestra leaves the stage to be replaced by eight cellos, a vocal soloist and the conductor. That's it. The music evokes the mood of the lyrics: "As evening falls ... dreamlike and beautiful...." Oh, yes, absolutely. Soprano Nicole Cabell has a wonderfully lush tone. Her diction doesn't always cut through the tone production, but her hummed passages float to the entire auditorium. 

After intermission we hear the main item: Beethoven's Symphony No 5. I follow along with a study score and am struck by how attentively the musicians keep to the composer's phrasing. Lehninger's well chosen tempos suit the size of the orchestra and the acoustics of the hall. The presto of the final pages is perhaps a bit of a blurred prestissimo, but the rousing finish brings the audience to its feet. 

If you ever get a chance to hear Beethoven's Fifth performed live, by all means go. Just watching the timpanist is a pleasure in itself. And if you ever have the opportunity to hear the BSO play in Symphony Hall – this band in this house can't be beat.