Summary: Music Director Alan Gilbert discusses the works on the concerts of December 28–30: Haydn’s Symphony No. 88, which he describes as the “most charming and delightful” of the composer’s works; two works by “master orchestrator” Ravel — the complete Mother Goose ballet and La Valse; and orchestrations of selected Schubert songs, which will be performed by Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, “the perfect combination of vocal perfection and expressive communicative ability,” who brings her “mastery … of the art song” and powerful storytelling to the concert stage. Elliott Forrest is your musical tour guide to the works on the program.
