Concerto for critic.

Joshua Kosman's San Francisco Chronicle review of British composer Robin Holloway's Fourth Concerto for Orchestra, newly premiered by Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony, is a brilliantly effective piece of writing. Opening with a paragraph that compels attention, Kosman provides just enough history to help you comprehend how this new piece came to be, then follows with just enough vivid detail to make you sorely wish you'd been there to hear it. Bravo. (Via Classical Life.)

Comments

[Lisa Hirsch]

Yes, that is a nice piece of writing! I called out his review of NCCO about 10 days as an example of why he's a much better critic than I am.

Having heard the same SFS program last night, I'm supercurious about how Joshua prepared for it, because there is no way one could take in the Holloway in one hearing. I am sorrry Tetzlaff got such a short writeup, because he was fabulous; just burned up the stage with his playing.

[Joshua Kosman]

Well, thanks to both of you for your kind words. Lisa, I deny that I'm a better critic than you are; I've just been doing it longer. I'm always awed and slightly abashed at the things you hear in performances that I manage to miss.

As for Holloway prep, with the kind assistance of the SFS I attended the final rehearsal with mammoth score in hand, which was helpful but not, I think, essential. At least not with this piece, which offers so much that is clear and graspable on a first hearing.

[Lisa Hirsch]

Blush! I feel the same way about your reviews: oh how could I have missed that??

What you say about the Holloway makes sense. I would have been taking lots and lots of notes.

I noticed two musical references that didn't turn up in the reviews, though it's highly likely you and Jeff Dunn noticed them: a to Petrouchka and to the end of Die Walkuere.