An evening of grandeur from Jupiter’s grace to a Hero’s glory
The BSO dazzles the audience with Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony and Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben
Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony and Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben
Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO)
Conducted by Andris Nelsons
Symphony Hall
September 27, 2025
The air inside Symphony Hall crackled with anticipation as the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) took to the stage, delivering a mesmerizing performance of Mozart’s final masterpiece Symphony No. 41, Jupiter, followed by Strauss’ autobiographical tone poem Ein Heldenleben. The evening carried listeners on a beautiful journey from the radiant, regal brilliance of Mozart’s melodies to the sweeping heroism and emotional depth of Strauss’s orchestral storytelling.
Symphony No. 41, dubbed Jupiter, alludes to the magnanimous Roman ruler of gods of the same name. Mozart never gave this name to his composition, but it was rather awarded posthumously based on his work’s grandeur and majestic scope. As Mozart’s final symphonic work, it stands as a triumphant bridge to the future of the symphonic form, elevating it from the intimate setting of private music rooms to the centerpiece of grand concert halls.
The first movement in Mozart’s last symphony (Allegro vivace) unfolded with a crisp, courtly elegance, like a lively scene at a royal gathering. The piece is marked with hints of romance and mischievous wit. Bright and precise, the symphony’s notes and graceful crescendos filled the hall as the strings moved in perfect synchrony. The flutes fluttered lightly, reminiscent of chirping birds, while a buoyant, cheerful melody returned again and again. The violins and cellos engaged in flirtatious banter throughout the movement.
The second movement, Andante cantabile, shifted into a tender and introspective mood, gilding with an air of poised restraint. The muted violins introduced a smooth, flowing theme that never quite settled. The basses occasionally took up the melody, grounding the texture with quiet warmth, while the woodwinds traded gentle phrases back and forth in subdued conversation. Beneath this calm surface was a sense of timidity and anticipation, as if the music was still gathering the courage to express itself fully.
The third movement, Allegretto, was a spirited menuetto that leapt with jovial energy. Its lively rhythm, with the first beat followed by two upbeats, conjured the image of dancers spinning gracefully across a bright, sunlit floor. The melody, built on a playful pattern of long and short notes, rippled through the orchestra with infectious vitality. There was an unmistakable sense of joyfulness here with moments of hearty laughter and carefree motion.
The final movement, Molto allegro, burst forth with breathtaking brilliance. Marked by dazzling precision, the musicians turned their pages rapidly, almost in unison, their focus unwavering. Throughout the piece, their instruments built upon one another, each section introducing layers rising towards radiant crescendos. The energy was exuberant and luminous — a triumphant close to the grand symphony.
After the intermission, the orchestra launched into Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben, translated “A Hero’s Life.” The work is not only a self-portrait, but also an accompaniment to the composer’s earlier satire Don Quixote, which drew upon Cervantes’s eponymous literary text. Although Strauss conceived of Ein Heldenleben first, he completed the mock-hero Don Quixote before returning to this more earnest reflection. In Ein Heldenleben, Strauss examines his own life, his internal and external struggles, and above all, his deep love for his wife.
Ein Heldenleben began with a bold and heroic force, horns and cellos rising together in unison and cutting through the hall with commanding power. The tone was darker and more dissonant than Mozart’s symphony, evoking the Hero’s courage in the face of uncertainty. Piercing trumpet calls and resonant horn lines shimmered like the first light of dawn breaking through wispy clouds. It felt like the start of the Hero’s brave voyage set against the backdrop of an early sky painted in shades of Monet’s foggy blue-gray.
The piece progressed quickly as a cacophony of winds and low brass drove the momentum with rapid, forceful phrases. The winds, representing Strauss’s critics, chattered and sniped in biting tones, while the tuba and tenor tuba echoed their presence with an ominous four-note motif in parallel fifths. The pace quickened as the Hero pushed forth against his adversaries.
The next movement featured a richer, deeper sonority as an expanded section of basses and cellos lended their weight and warmth to the orchestra. Concertmaster Nathan Cole’s solo violin shined at the center, employing double stops that created a fuller, more impassioned tone. As the piece unraveled, the violin’s voice became increasingly prominent, symbolizing the Hero’s introspection and his tender companionship with his wife, captured through a lyrical, intimate love scene.
The Hero’s return to the battlefield erupted with thunderous intensity. Muted horns rumbled like distant storms, while pounding drums and rapid bowing drove the music forward with an unstoppable momentum. The cellos plucked their strings sharply, adding to the sense of urgency and motion as the Hero faced their adversaries. The energy was electric and unrelenting, a surge of sound that captured both the chaos and courage of combat, propelling the listener head-first into the fray.
The music then turned more tender and less hurried, enveloped in a contemplative, serene atmosphere that invited quiet reflection. It called forth the warmth of domestic life with the Hero’s wife and son. However, within this stillness, the Hero’s original theme reemerged, marked by the horns and timpani, gently steering the work toward its finale.
Flowing naturally from the previous passage, the final piece began with the familiar motive briefly stirring the music into a moment of agitation before yielding to a peaceful, pastoral interlude. The finale unwinded gradually and deliberately with a long sustained note from the low brass while familiar characters made reappearances. The solo violin returned to offer a soothing voice, the winds repeated soft motifs, and the strings drew their bow slowly. A final brass fanfare marked the Hero’s fulfillment and the completion of their journey.
As conductor Andris Nelsons lowered his baton, a rapturous ovation filled the symphony hall. The audience rose to their feet, clapping in a thunderous, unbroken wave of applause, commemorating the end to an unforgettable evening of magnificent music.
The program encapsulated the breadth of the human condition in the rollercoaster of life, from jubilant, sky-high celebrations to quiet canyons of solitude. In Mozart, there was tension between moments of self-assured brilliance and tender introspection — universal experiences common to all. In Strauss, the arc of the Hero’s journey mirrored the experience of setting out into the wilderness of life, facing challenges, seeking respite in companionship, and ultimately finding one’s own meaning amid life’s grand tumult. The evening was a reminder that beauty can be found in life’s conflicts, as well as how triumph cannot exist without struggle and how heroes cannot exist without adversaries.