Giancarlo Guerrero & Johannes Moser Triumph in an Eclectic Program with the BSO

At BSO, conductor Giancarlo Guerrero champions works unheard for decades
By Jeremy Eichler

“In Thursday’s performance, the German-Canadian cellist Johannes Moser played the opening Moderato with abundant poise, and then took the Allegro appassionato, with all its rapid figuration, at a brisk clip, telegraphing the music’s urgency by whipping bow from string at the end of several climactic passages. Costa Rican conductor Giancarlo Guerrero and the orchestra met him at every turn. The finale’s variations were well-characterized and played with great finesse — enough so that the audience kept recalling Moser until he responded with an encore: Bach’s Sarabande from the First Cello Suite, in a clear-toned, soft-spoken reading.”

“Guerrero led with a sense of occasion. In the Sanctus movement, “Hosanna in excelsis!” burst forth with the fullest fortissimo heard in many weeks. And in the closing In Paradisum, the conductor drew out the music’s sublime tranquility, showcasing the crystalline voices of the children’s choir.”
Boston Globe

Choral Favorite Capped BSO Concert
by Vance R. Koven

“Moser emitted a robust and mellifluous sound, with a fair degree of portamento, though in general keeping with Guerrero’s fairly subdued and decorously unflashy reading (notwithstanding the rather large orchestral forces for a concerto). “

“Moser obliged the audience’s persistent cheers with the Sarabande of Bach’s first suite, in a rendition that took dynamic precision to near silence—something he’s really good at, as anyone who has heard him in recital can attest.”

“The capstone of the evening, much to our surprise, came in a riveting performance of the Duruflé Requiem, op. 9 (1947), a very popular item among amateur choruses, though perhaps less so often with professional orchestras (this is only the second time the BSO has performed it, other than single movements at Pops)…Not having heard it live before, we were struck by the appealing performance; the immediacy and reverberation of the hall opened up the flattened sonics of recordings. Guerrero also adopted some brisk tempi, notably from the get-go in the Introit, and kept one’s attention on the interweaving lines in both chorus and orchestra.”
Boston Musical Intelligencer

Death and eternal rest: Grime, Walton and Duruflé from Giancarlo Guerrero in Boston
By Kevin Wells

“Giancarlo Guerrero, who has demonstrated his flair for contemporary music in previous visits, had the rhythmic challenges under control…”

“[Moser] played with complete and infectious conviction often swaying and digging in with his upper body to begin the Moderato with a full-throated, amber tone. Moser and Guerrero picked up on the opening ticking clock motif, which recurs at the close, to add a carpe diem strain of melancholy to the skein of melody. Rhythm and speed replaced long melodic lines as Moser raced through the agitated and challenging Allegro appassionato.“

“Guerrero, the chorus, and the children’s choir created a pulsing, glowing nimbus of comforting sound”
Bach Track

BSO’s Duruflé glows and a Walton rarity receives captivating advocacy
By Jonathan Blumhofer

“Of all the conductor relationships the Boston Symphony Orchestra has built over the last decade, the partnership with Giancarlo Guerrero has proven to be one of the most satisfying…”

“Guerrero’s reading was smartly paced, thoughtfully shaped, and well-balanced…”

“…in Johannes Moser’s hands, Walton’s final concerto speaks volumes. Thursday night, the first movement sang with an impellent warmth of tone and captivating sense of space: this was a reading that was luxurious yet directed. The central movement bristled with spunk and character, while the finale soared passionately.

Moser brought terrific technique – his intonation and articulation were spot-on—and a captivating sense of personality to his part. Indeed, his was an account that brimmed with soul from start to finish (and that includes the fragile Bach “Sarabande” he played as an encore).”

“Guerrero drew playing of vibrant energy and precision from the BSO.”
Boston Classical Review