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Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Category: Arts & Entertainment Performing Arts Performing Arts [Edit]
1212 Cathedral StSte 1
Baltimore, MD 21201
Neighborhood: Mount Vernon
(410) 783-8000
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
About This Business:
Misako Ballet Studio specializes in classical ballet training for ages 3 to adult. We also offer a wide range of classes including: modern, creative… read more »
10 reviews for Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
10 reviews in English
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Review from Jen W.
Nothing like classical music to soothe the soul.
It was a delight to see the BSO under the direction of Maestra Marin Alsop on the first night of the BSO's 2011-2012 season. Maestra Alsop was wonderful to watch - graceful, delicate and energetic. It was nice to watch a director who the orchestra responds to and isn't the only star of the show. The opening concert featured Mahler's Resurrection. It was an impressive concert of instruments, the Baltimore Choral Arts Society and featured opera soloists.
I love the sound in the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. The acoustics are designed to provide a fantastic experience from each seat. The seats and legroom are very comfortable, even for a longer concert since it is a modern symphony hall versus a traditional theater.
If you so happen to go unwillingly or you don't have a chance for pre-theater dinner and drinks, you can grab a drink or light snack in the lobby before the performance or during intermission. -
Review from Woy Z.
Conneaut, OH
1/27/2012
I love the Baltimore Symphony. I've been a fan for many years, and I'll be a fan for many more.
I wish they'd do more adventurous programming like they used to. The director seems to be trying to dumbing down a bit? (Lots of Beethoven? Dvorak symphonies? Bernstein Mass? Star Wars?) I don't know if that's a conscious effort or not... like they think Baltimore public can't handle more?
Marin Alsop used to have some nice programs, like Tan Dun, Honnegger, Ades, Mozart... but, every once in a while I'll scratch my head with the Mussorgsky Pictures, and the Beethoven 5, and the Bernstein Mass, and the Afternoon of a Faun... really? If I wanted to hear a youth orchestra concert, I'd go across the street to Peabody. You have world-renown players here, use them! Show us something we wouldn't hear on public radio and kids' concerts.
Don't get me wrong. It's all beautifully played. But we've heard it before. Lately, I've noticed that some programs are getting repeated every year. I don't get that. -
Review from Shane L.
Baltimore, MD
2/6/2012
My wife and I love going to the BSO for a night out. But, parking is always a hassle. $11 and cash only!
Last time we went we rented a parking spot through a service called Parking Panda that my wife had heard about. We were able to rent out someone's parking pad for the night just a couple blocks away and we saved some money too. Plus, I didn't have to worry about having cash on me. -
Review from Julia Vipsania A.
Arlington, VA
1/21/2011
It was about two years ago or so when Vipsania Agrippina began needling me about the BSO. "They're really fantastic. They're amazing. You need to go." Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm busy and maybe sometime I'll see what they're up to and HOLY SHIT SHOSTAKOVICH'S FIFTH get the FUCK OUT. So I bought tickets.
The BSO plays both in their Baltimore symphony hall (where we went) and Strathmore. While Strathmore may have a somewhat prettier auditorium, the venue in Baltimore is superior overall. They also have Thursday night pre-concert wine tastings for ten bucks. Ahem.
Which leads me to the incredible things the BSO is doing for the community. Tickets are positively dirt cheap, from $28 to $88. The symphony runs a "Rusty Musicians" program for local amateurs (at any age or level) to play alongside the BSO in concert. Marin Alsop has even started a women's conducting fellowship. The BSO deserves commendation for making music so accessible.
Alsop herself is a fucking phenom. She's a throwback to the old age of the (mostly) German greats who dominated the podium like sorcerers conjuring fire. While conducting Rachmaninoff's first piano concerto she spun and swayed and hummed BA DUM DUM DUM the whole way. The orchestra seemed to be coming forth from her.
Rachmaninoff's first is nothing if not engaging. There's no time to catch your breath. He pushes you around, races with you, pulls you into these scenes of tremendous beauty and romance and, sometimes, violence. I remember thinking "He must have truly loved and feared the world in which he lived", which is the sort of embarrassing half-formed inanity that comes to mind in the midst of something so awe-inspiring. Still, it may be a bit true. The pianist (whose name I forget almost entirely, Kir- Gill- something, please don't hate me) was superlative. When it ended I was shuddering.
The first two notes of Shostakovich's fifth turn your insides to lead and make your stomach drop out from under you. This symphony is about people in pain, animated by oppression. It is cold and hateful and you can hear Shostakovich seething. There is nothing nice about this symphony. Alsop took it somewhat slower than I'd expected, which enabled her to wring every drop of agony from each measure. Torturous? Yes. And that's how it's supposed to be. The third movement is all sorrow, haunted by fear and dread, and at that point I finally cracked. This is the sound of a nation suffering, of people full of anxiety yet spurred on by unspeakable terror.
The finale is exquisitely awful. It's all the sound of a glorious triumph with none of the heart, the pain underneath still raw as ever. This is an artist, beaten, forced to proclaim the greatness of his masters; it's music that was stricken and bent and whipped until hollow. The end is miserable, meaningless capitulation, the sound of a beautiful soul using his greatest gift for propaganda.
This was an unbelievable, breathtaking performance by some of the best artists I've heard in a long time. Five stars to the performers that left me horrified and heartbroken, five stars for art so beautiful and bare. -
Review from MacRae O.
11/21/2010
***This review is for Meyerhoff Symphony Hall as a venue, not for the BSO. I've never seen the BSO, and I wrote this review when MSH had its own Yelp listing. For some reason the building itself is now lumped together with the BSO, despite the fact that many other shows/performers play this space.***
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall is a great event venue. The hall and foyer *are* a bit outdated and 70s-ish, but at this point we'd almost be able to call it "stylishly retro" as opposed to "outdated." And the symphony hall itself is a beautiful space, sophisticated, glossy, and well-maintained.
There doesn't seem to be a bad seat in the house (and the seats themselves are quite comfortable). The light wood stage and paneling are lovely, and the acoustics -- obviously -- are brilliant. We were here to see Jerry Seinfeld, and we could make him out clearly on stage as well as hear him perfectly, even from our upper tier nosebleed seats in the suspended egg sections. Wish I had pics of those egg pods...visit the BSO website, you'll see.
My gripe about the Meyerhoff has to do with the traffic and parking situation. Although our frustrating experience may have had something to do with the fact that Seinfeld performed two shows that night, the Meyerhoff often hosts multiple shows in a day. The hall is located in a bit of a congested area, and when we arrived for the 9:30 show, the 7:00 show was just getting out. The vehicle and foot traffic created absolute bedlam. There were traffic cops directing the *throngs* of vehicles choking the area immediately surrounding the Meyerhoff, however, so there was a little method to the madness. Maybe the whole ordeal is better at single-performance events, but it took us 30 minutes waiting in line before we were able to get into the parking garage. And I'm not sure street parking is even feasible on event nights. Garage parking is $11 and cash only. -
Review from Luke C.
Durham, NC
5/27/2010
Came here for graduation. The audience and hall area were clean and comfortably appointed. The lighting was warm and the environmental controls were spot on even for a warm day.
The decor in the hall and the foyer is showing a bit of age and the foyer can be a bit hectic when it is busy with a big event. An enjoyable venue nevertheless. -
Review from Tierra J.
12/12/2010
Bravo! The BSO played for the Holiday Spectacular and they were amazing! I love the way Baltimore makes the arts so accessible for everyone. Tickets are reasonably-priced. I urge everyone to find a way to enjoy the BSO, whether that be a show or purchasing their music.
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Review from Ben S.
Washington, DC
10/17/2007
The Baltimore Symphony has undergone something of a resurgence lately, led by the first female conductor of a major American Orchestra, Marin Alsop. She's transformed the orchestra into a powerhouse and has them recording again and broadcasting live on XM Satellite Radio.
Concerts are fairly cheap ($25/seat, $10 for student tickets to some performances) and the quality of the orchestra is outstanding. In addition, Alsop has put the focus squarely on composers living today, and you'll get to hear the cutting edge of classical music in addition to some of the more traditional pieces you'd expect at the symphony. Already this year there have been works featuring drum pads, synthesizers, techno beats, and multimedia presentations.
A tip: If you sign up for the email list you'll often get last minute offers for incredibly great deals on tickets. 2-for-1 specials, $10 tickets, drink specials. Sure, it means you have to be spontaneous sometimes, but it's worth it. Also, sometimes even without the email specials, tickets on the day of a performance are cheap, even in the best sections. -
Review from Dee B.
Updated - 10/26/2008
I'm going to start a Marin Alsop Fan Club! Seriously, this woman rocks!!!
Today I saw the BSO perform a sold-out Leonard Bernstein's "Mass" at the Kennedy Center (where they typically do not perform). Far too many conductors are older white guys, and quite a few just stick to the traditional Brahms, Beethoven, etc. repertoires. Undoubtedly few would be willing or able to put on a piece like Bernstein's Mass, which calls for an orchestra (including extra instruments like acoustic and electric guitar), a kids chorus, an adult chorus, a soloist, a vocal ensemble of 20 (who dance at one point) and even a marching band. Yet Marin Alsop (who trained w/ Bernstein) pulled it off flawlessly. The whole kit and kaboodle not only earned a standing ovation but even many shouts of "Bravo!," which is not something you hear on a regular basis.Listed in: DC CV (Culture Vulture), Charmed in Charm City
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10/18/2008
I have to agree with Ben - the BSO's resurgence under Marin Alsop has been great. I've been to… Read more »
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Review from Rebecca M.
Baltimore, MD
We enjoyed the BSO and the Holiday Spectacular in December 2010. A great show for all ages, and appropriate for a family as well. The lobby was completely decorated for the season, with decorated trees, pictures iwth santa, and a handbell choir playing from the second floor. Simple refreshments were available as well as the gift shop, the Symphony Store.
