Minnesota Orchestra locked out its musicians more than a year ago and, last week, patient music director Osmo Vanskä finally gave up after the umpteenth failure of management and musicians to agree to a new contract.
The musicians and Vanskä hastily organised a goodbye concert at the University of Minnesota with pianist Emanuel Ax. It sold out so quickly that they added two more performances.
Tonight’s performance will be broadcast live by Classical Minnesota Public Radio, starting at 9 p.m. (Eastern). You can find the details and how to listen online here.
Is an excellent symphony orchestra the institution — as managers and board members so often believe — or is it the music?
Many believe that one cannot exist without the other, but we all know there is nothing left without the music.
Thanks to the heightened emotions all ’round, this concert with Ax, Vanskä and the brave Minnesotans is bound to be an exceedingly fine evening of music.
On the bill is some Beethoven — the Egmont Overture and Piano Concerto No. 3 — some Mozart — the Piano Concerto No. 27 K595 — and the 1919 Firebird Suite by Igor Stravinsky.
John Terauds