The applause began before Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra had even struck a single note during the second half of Friday night’s concert. Listeners packed in the Koussevitzky Shed showered the orchestra and its conductor with sustained cheers. The red flower campaign seemed at full force. Many musicians had pinned them on the lapels of their white coats. Nelsons did the same with his black jacket. Some in the audience followed suit, attaching the flower proudly to t-shirts, blouses, and atop baseball caps.
While evidence has emerged in the last few days that the BSO administration would be cracking down on distributing flowers and materials in support of Nelsons, I saw nothing amiss Friday night. Support for the Latvian conductor remains so strong that even if you take a drive around Lenox, you’ll pass lawns bearing signs that read, “Reinstate Nelsons.” In what has become Nelsons’s final chapter as the BSO’s music director, many in the audience are signaling that they are not backing down in their criticism of how things went down in March. And even if the music making in Friday’s program of Tchaikovsky and Mozart didn’t always compel, the air in the Shed felt charged by undying support for the man wielding the baton.
The concert opened a weekend dedicated to exploring the connections between a popular Russian romantic and high Viennese classicist. The music of Tchaikovsky and Mozart bears striking similarities. Both were masters of form and process. And while they may differ in dramatic urgency, their works share an affinity for dance. That’s especially true of Tchaikovsky’s little-heard Symphony No. 3, which made up the bulk of Friday’s program.
Nicknamed the “Polish” due its fiery polonaise rhythms, this score bears neither the charming folksiness of the first two symphonies nor the thundering angst of the final three and character-driven “Manfred.” Yet in the right hands, the music lilts gracefully and builds to powerful heights. Nelsons guide revealed plenty of the former but not enough of the latter.
To be fair, lots of beauty emerged in Nelsons’s rendering. Featured woodwind solos added splashes of light to the dark strings. The second movement’s Ländler frolicked without feeling heavy-footed. The brass sounded bold and resonant. Richard Svoboda’s bassoon cast a mournful pall over the third movement.
But while Nelsons worked his usual magic by drawing attention to every phrase, he lost momentum in the process. Crucially missing was any sense of the long game. The five movements of the symphony never felt cohesive. The polonaise, which should be full of Russian pomp, lacked fire and purpose.
Fortunately, Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5, which turned the spotlight onto Augustin Hadelich, displayed more conviction and urgency. The longest of the composer’s violin concertos, the so-called “Turkish” concerto abounds in dance rhythms, albeit with an exotic twist: the finale contains a foot-stomping march.
Throughout, Hadelich’s tone in the upper register hung in the air like sunrays, the sound gradually taking on body as the line unfolded. Mystery abounded in the development section, Hadelich here an earthy presence. The recapitulation, as a result, felt like a true culmination, the theme more assured than before.
Nelsons allowed the Adagio to flow in long-breathed phrases. Hadelich and the orchestra worked together to let the sighing motives fall like a cascade. The Menuetto coursed with sure-footed swagger, foreshadowing the Turkish march, which broke forth with bow-bouncing conviction. Hadelich rewarded the applause with his own colorful transcription of “Träumerei” from Schumann’s Kinderszenen, Op. 15.
Nelsons received just as much adulation at concert’s end. The orchestra even declined to stand when he gestured for them to do so, a sign of deep respect. Given what he has gone through these past few months, the act projected another show of commitment that goes well beyond the music. And maybe, if popular campaigns tell us anything, that remains the most honest assessment of his efforts.
@David Moran Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim may be the only credible music critic left at The New York Times. I have agreed with much of her criticism in the past. I disagree respectfully with what she wrote regarding the Wiener Philharmoniker concerts at Carnegie Hall earlier this year. While he is not quite in the same league as Muti and Haitink, I did enjoy greatly all three concerts and had the pleasure of thanking him in person after the 3rd concert, which featured a fine interpretation of the Mahler 1st Symphony. If he wasn’t very good as a conductor, I strongly doubt the Wiener Philharmoniker would have bestowed honorary membership on him weeks ago, presumably the youngest so honored. He did take them this year on their longest North American tour in recent memory, that included performances in Boston, Toronto, Washington, DC and Florida, in addition to Carnegie Hall.
Comment by John Kwok — August 27, 2026 at 11:07 pm
@ David Moran Let me clarify my statement. What triggered the sycophant label was Schwartzʻs observation on Maellki which concurs 100% with Chad Smith. Her recent guest appearance with the BSO received rather mixed reviews and there were many empty seats. So why offer her up as an alternative. Also, why hold up James Levine, a sexual predator and overrated conductor. I did not say that Schwartz is a lying sycophant. I said “Keep telling those lies to yourself and donʻt be surprised if concert halls are empty.” In short, I was talking more about self-deception. Well, at this point, it no longer matters: “Alea jacta est.” The BSO has made its decision and audiences will make their decisions.
Comment by ava — August 27, 2026 at 5:18 pm
Writing mixedly, lukewarmly or worse about Nelsons of course doesn’t make Schwartz, Allen, Keebaugh, Pincus et alia lying sycophants, a distinction lost on the likes of ava, and all SamW (I believe) is objecting to. Many listeners concur in their takes, which it goes without saying are honest. Trusting Barker instead is gustibus. I’m surprised the Nelsons fans here haven’t slurred Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim for being ambivalent:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/arts/music/vienna-philharmonic-carnegie-hall.html
Comment by David Moran — August 27, 2026 at 4:44 pm
@ Sam W Edwin Barker, former principal bassist of the BSO who also played for Solti at the CSO, considers Andris Nelsons “one of the greats.” Sorry but I trust the musician and not Lloyd Schwartz who is also on this program. Edwin Barker who retired from the BSO in 2024 thought that the orchestra was “at the height of a olden age of the BSO musically speaking.” https://www.wvxu.org/2026-08-27/turmoil-at-boston-symphony-orchestra-lingers-6-months-after-conductor-was-let-go
Comment by ava — August 27, 2026 at 3:25 pm
@Boris Karloff, Nelsons is music director of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra too. He can record with them whenever he chooses. As for the Wiener Philharmoniker, they may be busy with other guest conductors. As for the Boston Symphony, it was – and still is – a first-rate symphony orchestra. Whether it will remain as one worthy of comparison with Leipzig and even Wiener, depends on whether Chad and Barbara will leave the musicians alone.
Comment by John Kwok — August 27, 2026 at 2:24 pm
I no longer expect anything resembling sanity or good taste in these comments, but there are still things that can surprise me. The comment that refers to Lloyd Schwartz as a lying sycophant is an extreme case. This is the Lloyd Schwartz who was the classical music critic for the Boston Phoenix for decades, winning a Pulitzer Prize along the way. He also has a substantial reputation as a poet, and, most important of all, he has also been an occasional, always welcome contributor to the Boston Musical Intelligencer. It is shameful that such things are said of him in this space.
Comment by SamW — August 27, 2026 at 1:53 pm
Let’s stop this charade and release Nelsons from his contract so that he can go on to perform and record great music with orchestras worthy of his calibre. Instead, he must waste an entire season in Boston as a “lame duck conductor” when he could have been busy recording with Leipzig GWH or Vienna PH. We need new recordings. Unfortunately, the Berlin PH releases little these days. Also, throw in some opera recordings, as Nelsons is very good in this genre.
Comment by Boris Karloff — August 27, 2026 at 7:55 am
Hereʻs the deal that I feared would be struck.
https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/08/25/bso-avoids-strike-as-musicians-management-reach-contract-deal
Comment by Kenny G — August 25, 2026 at 7:53 pm
I am now subscribed to the Berlin Philharmonic Digital Concert Hall. The site features amazing live guest performances by Nelsons conducting Mahler 2, Mahler 5 and more recently Bruckner 8 and Shostakovich 10. (In all 24 performances by Nelsons).
Comment by Kenny G — August 22, 2026 at 11:03 am
Hypothetically speaking, Honeck could have been considered as a viable alternative to Nelsons given his success with Pittsburgh and internationally with various renowned orchestras. However, he just extended his contract with Pittsburgh until 2032. Why get rid of Nelsons without a viable alternative already in place? I still believe Nelsons will end up with Cleveland and we will end up with leftovers.
Comment by NDA — August 18, 2026 at 3:07 pm
Another Chad Smith sycophant writing a review about Nelsons for WBUR. And no surprise, the solution to all problems is Susanna Maellki. Keep telling these lies (most likely outsourced by the BSO PR team) to yourself and don’t be shocked when the audience is not showing up. https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/08/17/bso-nelsons-commentary
Comment by ava — August 17, 2026 at 6:05 pm
@Pubius, I hope you follow this advice which @Kenny G has done:
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More false narratives squashed by Thomas Dinsmore:
https://thomaswdinsmore.substack.com/p/the-bsos-false-narrative-part-ii
Meanwhile, Boston.com is still showing the David Allen Tanglewood article.
Comment by Publius — August 10, 2026 at 5:11 pm
@Kenny G, thanks. I believe others who live in MA, like @Publius, should follow suit. The more complaints the MA Attorney General’s office receives, the more likely it is that they will have to take it seriously & start investigating Chad and Barbara and their minions in management and on the board. There must be a major job of house cleaning done within BSO management and the board of trustees that will ensure the survival of the BSO’s well deserved artistic integrity and decades-long excellence in music making, that will also ensure that Andris Nelsons remains as BSO Music Director for as long as he and BSO Musicians want him to remain. The more people who complain to the MA Attorney General’s office, the more likely it is that this ongoing turmoil will end, the BSO’s musical excellence will be retained and the audience and BSO Musicians will have the privilege of having this great orchestra led indefinitely by a superb music director, Andris Nelsons.
That was in reply to what @Kenny G told me he just did on August 9th:
@ John Kwok I just filed a complaint. Kept it simple and mostly referred to fraudulent soliciting through misrepresentation of funds and fiscal affairs (contradicted by Thomas Dinsmore’s analysis). An audit may help to get the ball rolling alongside boycotts, red flower and media campaigns.
I presume he filed the complaint via this website:
This site seems more to the point as it concerns non-profit organizations and fraudulent soliciting: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/file-a-complaint-about-a-charity-or-non-profit
Comment by John Kwok — August 11, 2026 at 3:14 am
@Kenny G — the false narrative about Nelsons “never being in Boston” is very much apparent and I have heard it repeated by various people entering Symphony Hall most often by people entering via the Cohen Wing who seemed to be corporate-patron toadies on a short fuse for whatever reason. They seemed extremely upset most of all about the outpouring of support for Andris and the Red Flower Campaign. I found it very bizarre, as the vast majority (95%+) of people outside of Symphony Hall I have spoken with adore Andris very much and have as much respect for him as Seiji Ozawa. Sadly, I think the false narrative also persists in the media as well and has gone unchecked. Andris is a big part of the taekwondo community in Boston, and I have never seen this put into any published article.
All things considered, the BSO is amateur hour compared to the work that Andris has available to him in Leipzig, Vienna, and elsewhere throughout Europe. It is a shame the people who perpetuate this false narrative likely have no idea that Andris actually performs BSO commissioned music throughout Europe, such as here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6pFV_xXCUE . I think there is also a false narrative about Andris not caring about new commissions or calling them “funny pieces.” (Source of this false narrative being the NY Times)
My immediate suspicion was this was taken out of context, especially considering Andris speaks multiple languages and comes from a different culture and a misunderstanding/mistranslation could very much be a factor here. Thomas Dinsmore clarified this further and stated recently “The ‘funny pieces’ comment is a harmless joke. Most members of the orchestra and the audience agree with that characterization of new music.” Nevertheless, these false narratives, when published in the NY Times, are read by many thousands of people and a very small number will likely look further for any sort of clarification because they will simply see it printed in the NY Times and trust it without question. The poorly written and sourced NY Times article still sits on the frontpage of Boston.com.
My thinking is the amateur hour happening now will eventually become “business as usual” if nothing is to change and at this point, I wonder. I want to thank you, Kenny G, for committing to the boycott!
Comment by Publius — August 10, 2026 at 10:09 pm
@ Publius Thanks for the new Dinsmore fiscal analysis. Other lies are those of presence and repertoire. Nelsons conducts between 12-14 weekly subscription concerts just like Welser-Moest does in Cleveland or Maekaela in Chicago, or Nezet-Seguin in Philadelphia. Harding is scheduled for 8 weeks with LA and will move on to 12. Dudamel is currently at 8 in NY and will probably scale up to 12. All these conductors have also major commitments with other orchestras (Concertgebouw; Met; Vienna Philharmonic; Salzburg Festival, Academia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia,…) The season programs also look fairly alike with a fair amount of concentration given to European classical composers from Mozart to Mahler and some contemporary pieces commissioned by the various orchestras. Misinformation seems to be the only information we get from the BSO board.
Comment by Kenny G — August 10, 2026 at 9:15 pm
PS: I’m currently boycotting BSO concerts but am willing to compromise my position if the following conditions are met: 1) firing of Chad Smith 2) replacement of Hostetter on the board who seriously misjudged the cultural context of the Boston classical music scene 3) a new multiple year contract for Nelsons (4-5 years) until an appropriate replacement is found if still deemed necessary.
Comment by Kenny G — August 6, 2026 at 11:48 am
@ Publius Thanks for your additional link documenting Chad Smith’s use of the NYT as far back as 2024. I was not aware of that and under the impression that he only recently hired a PR team working on his behalf. How devious! He and the board as his co-conspirators need to go!
Comment by Kenny G — August 3, 2026 at 9:39 am
@ Kenny G — Thanks for posting, everyone should read your link and analyze the photo, but then also go back to see the record of Slippedisc’s posts about the relationship between the NYT and the BSO/Chad Smith. I also noticed posts on Slipped Disc going back to 2024 regarding the relationship between the current leadership and the same non-musician freelance writer who the NY Times uses, such as here: https://slippedisc.com/2024/07/ny-times-bangs-pr-drum-again-for-new-boston-boss/
What I found perhaps even more interesting was a comment from a user “anon” who wrote, in part:
“The Times is also, once again, doing its part to help Chad Smith get rid of Nelsons. If you are a fan of Nelsons in Boston, you better hope the board doesn’t pay attention to the New York Times, because they WILL continue to make everything at the BSO all about Chad, the one that is feeding them stories and keeping them employed.”
Comment by Publius — August 3, 2026 at 8:12 am
Mr. David Allen, NYT critic, hanging out with publicist paid by Chad Smith at Tanglewood. https://slippedisc.com/2026/08/over-at-tanglewood-watch-the-ny-times-get-spun/
Meanwhile at the Salzburg festival where a highly popular artistic director was ousted, “the Festival administration has been ordered by a court to account for the expenses incurred in the removal of Hinterhäuser from a post he fulfilled with distinction.” I wonder if something similar could be done by the Attorney General. https://slippedisc.com/2026/08/the-night-salzburg-turned-into-tanglewood/
Comment by Kenny G — August 3, 2026 at 6:42 am
The future vision: https://www.laphil.com/tickets-and-events/calendar
Comment by ava — July 31, 2026 at 7:15 pm
Chad Smith: I know, admire and have successfully worked with Tony Fogg for decades. His knowledge of the current field of composers and performers is unsurpassed, and he is indeed beloved. You, sir, are no Tony Fogg.
Comment by TITUREL — July 28, 2026 at 7:42 am
@ ava and John Kwok — that story on Slippedisc reminded me today of the Boston Globe’s article from March 2026 which mentioned Tony Fogg and Chad Smith which i will quote from below:
“Meanwhile, at Symphony Hall, some current and former employees have criticized Smith’s managerial approach, calling it ‘one of fear, intimidation, and ridicule.’
They allege the chief executive has ‘humiliated’ employees and had a particular focus on Fogg, the vice president for artistic planning who announced his retirement last month.
An orchestra member who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals recalled a meeting in which Smith ‘threw Tony under the bus,’ while another person, a former staffer, said they had repeatedly witnessed Fogg ‘berated or belittled’ by Smith in meetings.”
(Source: https://archive.ph/DNFqv )
My understanding is that Tony Fogg is a very beloved member of the BSO community. Those excerpts have very much stuck with me since they were published by the Boston Globe in March.
Comment by Publius — July 27, 2026 at 10:42 pm
Good lord. The comments sound as if one is expecting perfection every night of the year. Seriously? Can anyone reach that standard? Maestro Nelsons is as close as Boston has ever come to glorious, harmonious, heavenly sounds performance after performance as humanly possible. Yes, you’re allowed to criticize – but how about a “critique” or a “personal opinion” instead of hellish “criticism”? C’mon Boston. Try. (no longer any professional affiliations)
Comment by Marjorie Cooperman — July 27, 2026 at 10:39 pm
@ava, I just sent this to Chad and cc’d Tony Fogg:
Chad –
This conduct of yours against Tony Fogg’s guest is totally inexcusable. You owe him an apology. It’s inconceivable that management at Carnegie Hall, The Metropolitan Opera or the New York Philharmonic Orchestra would act as unprofessionally and childish as you’ve done. It’s yet another reason why you must resign as BSO CEO:
Exclusive: At Tanglewood, Chad sends in the heavies – Slippedisc
Respectfully yours,
John Kwok
Comment by John Kwok — July 27, 2026 at 5:43 pm
@ava thanks for the link to that SlippeDisc post. It’s disgusting but not unexpected courtesy of the Chad and Barbara regime.
Comment by John Kwok — July 27, 2026 at 5:36 pm
https://slippedisc.com/2026/07/exclusive-at-tanglewood-chad-sends-in-the-heavies/
Comment by ava — July 27, 2026 at 4:36 pm
@ John Kwok The irony of Nelsons being accused of having overextended himself whereas Dudamel, the held up model, obviously was overextended himself and did not find enough time to prepare the Mahler 2 concert, a prestige event at Salzburg. Yes, the entire BSO board must step down asap!
Comment by ava — July 27, 2026 at 10:37 am
@ava, Chad Smith and Barbara Hostetter have said for weeks that they refuse to reconsider Nelsons’ termination despite the huge public outcry. That’s why there are many who demand that both resign now – including yours truly – and that a newly reconstituted BSO board rescinds Nelsons’ termination of his contract after the end of the 2027 Tanglewood season.
Comment by John Kwok — July 27, 2026 at 9:56 am
@ava I’m a long-time New York Philharmonic Orchestra subscriber and though I have enjoyed hearing him conduct the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, I haven’t found him nearly as impressive as Malkki has been when she guest conducted at least once a year, or Nelsons, whether he’s conducted BSO, Wiener Philharmoniker or another orchestra. As for Dudamel’s conducting of the Mahler 2nd Symphony, it may be due in part with what he was doing in preparing for the FIFA World Cup Final half-time show that he didn’t give himself enought time to prepare for his Wiener Philharmoniker Mahler 2nd Symphony concert. However, I would rather hear Nelsons conduct Mahler, not Dudamel, and I told Nelsons over by the Carnegie Hall backstage entrance on March 1st after his third Wiener Philharmoniker concert that featured the Mahler 1st Symphony that I didn’t realize that he was a fine Mahler interpreter and that I greatly enjoyed hearing his interpretation of the Mahler 1st Symphony with the WIener Philharmoniker. (Typo corrected)
Comment by John Kwok — July 27, 2026 at 9:52 am
@ava I’m a long-time New York Philharmonic Orchestra subscriber and though I have enjoyed hearing him conduct the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, I haven’t found him nearly as impressive as Malkki has been when she guest conducted at least once a year, or Nelsons, whether he’s conducted BSO, Wiener Philharmoniker or another orchestra. As for Dudamel’s conducting of the Mahler 2nd Symphony, it may be due in part with what he was doing in preparing for the FIFA World Cup Final half-time show that he didn’t give himself enought time to prepare for his Wiener Philharmoniker Mahler 2nd Symphony concert. However, I would rather here Nelsons conduct Mahler, not Dudamel, and I told Nelsons over by the Carnegie Hall backstage entrance on March 1st after his third Wiener Philharmoniker concert that featured the Mahler 1st Symphony that I didn’t realize that he was a fine Mahler interpreter and that I greatly enjoyed hearing his interpretation of the Mahler 1st Symphony with the WIener Philharmoniker.
Comment by John Kwok — July 27, 2026 at 9:50 am
Disappointing Mahler 2 performance at Salzburg with the Vienna Philharmonic. No, itʻs not Nelsons but Dudamel, the template conductor advanced by Smith and Hostetter.
https://slippedisc.com/2026/07/how-the-vienna-phil-fluffed-mahlers-2nd-at-salzburg/
Comment by ava — July 27, 2026 at 8:47 am
Yes, one can respectfully disagree but this is damning criticism: “But while Nelsons worked his usual magic by drawing attention to every phrase, he lost momentum in the process. Crucially missing was any sense of the long game. The five movements of the symphony never felt cohesive.” Also, Nelsonsʻs departure is now depicted as irreversible in spite of protests: “In what has become Nelsons’s final chapter as the BSO’s music director, many in the audience are signaling that they are not backing down in their criticism of how things went down in March.”
Comment by ava — July 27, 2026 at 8:41 am
@Leon Golub, I second your endorsement. As much as I admire Andris Nelsons, he’s neither GOD nor Jesus Christ. I was in touch recently with a well knwon New York City music critic – who will remain nameless – who didn’t appreciate as much as I did, Nelsons’ conducting of the Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra) and the Boston Symphony when they performed at Carnegie Hall earlier this year. I told him we would disagree respectfully.
Comment by John Kwok — July 26, 2026 at 8:39 pm
@AK: Congratulations on a fantastic review, one of the finest I’ve ever read: detailed, specific, clear. And yes, we’re allowed to criticize Nelsons, even as we love him wholeheartedly.
Comment by Leon Golub — July 26, 2026 at 8:24 pm
This short review below contradicts Keebaugh’s backhanded praise/criticism of Nelsons rendition of Tchaikovsky 3. I trust the better review below.
https://www.colinscolumn.com/tanglewood-boston-symphony-orchestra-andris-nelsons-mozart-tchaikovsky-1-3-turkish-polish-with-augustin-hadelich-live-broadcast-on-classical-radio-boston/
Comment by ava — July 26, 2026 at 2:45 pm