A strong showing from New England Philharmonic’s first music director hopeful, Adam Kerry Boyles
The orchestra and guest conductor revived the orchestral version of Amy Beach’s ‘Jephthah’s Daughter’
Adam Kerry Boyles is one of four candidates in the running to take over as music director of New England Philharmonic.NEW ENGLAND PHILHARMONIC
December 8, 2021, By A.Z. Madonna, The Boston Globe
For the New England Philharmonic, world premieres are not unusual. In the 23 years with music director emeritus Richard Pittman at the helm, audiences could count on at least one or two per season, and in this year of searching for Pittman’s successor, there are several in the offing.
But generally when musicians are taking part in a premiere, they’re aware of it. The NEP and guest conductor Adam Kerry Boyles — one of four candidates in the running for the music director position — knew that Amy Beach’s 1903 concert aria “Jephthah’s Daughter” had seldom been performed since its composition in 1903. However, until quite recently, they didn’t know that they might be delivering the world premiere of the orchestral version. As of Sunday afternoon, there was no evidence the piece had ever been performed in its full orchestral glory rather than its piano/vocal reduction, so was it a world premiere? The world may never know, but considering the paltry recognition the orchestral version has received over the past 100-plus years, it may as well have been.
(cont.)