Concert Review: Elvis Costello and the Boston Pops (May 10, 2006)
Published May 12, 2006
It is no small measure of my devotion that I undertook a 296-mile round trip (on a week night, and in dress clothes, no less) to watch Elvis Costello make his debut performance with the Boston Pops Orchestra on Wednesday evening as that venerable institution launched its 2006 season with, among other things, a suite from Costello's first classical oeuvre, Il Sogno. Champagne receptions held on each level of Symphony Hall and attended by a mixture of Costello fans in various styles of attire and Pops regulars in their evening finery gave the sold-out evening an air of festivity right from the start.
From our "cheap" seats in the first balcony, we could look down on the well-heeled patrons below, sitting at tables and sipping champagne served by a wait staff (the opening of the season is a benefit, and as such, the orchestra-level seats were priced well beyond the means of this working woman). Accustomed as I am to seeing Elvis perform in venues where fans consume far too much beer in plastic cups, the sense of dislocation was jarring.
After a rousing opening that consisted of a cinematic "Postcard to Boston" set to the musical accompaniment of John Williams' "A Hymn to New England," the orchestra got down to business with von Suppé's "Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna" followed by a suite from Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The Mendelssohn selection was significant because it preceded the first real highlight of the evening, which was a suite from Il Sogno, Costello's own interpretation of Shakespeare's play, which was commissioned in 2000 by an Italian ballet company. I don't know enough about classical music from a technical standpoint to really review this piece, but I know that I enjoyed listening to it. It has a jazz-influenced, contemporary feel, and attests to Costello's seriousness as a composer of something other than his signature well-crafted and literate pop songs.
Joined by long-time collaborator and Attractions/Imposters pianist Steve Nieve, Costello rounded out the program with a nine-song set that proved that he is well on his way to enjoying a second career that often bears little resemblance to the one in which he first made his reputation. The 'angry young man' and sometimes belligerent rocker that came to prominence in the late '70s has given way to a gracious performer whose vocal talents are nothing short of stunning given the right choice of material. And the material he chose last night made excellent use of the assembled orchestra, including as it did two of his collaborations with Burt Bacharach, "God Give Me Strength" and "I Still Have That Other Girl", both of which showed off his voice (which is sometimes surprising in its range) to great effect.
- Concert Review: Elvis Costello and the Boston Pops (May 10, 2006)
- Published: May 12, 2006
- Type: Review
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: Classical, Music: Jazz, Music: Live Concerts, Music: Pop
- Writer: Lisa McKay
- Lisa McKay's BC Writer page
- Lisa McKay's personal site
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Thanks, Gordon! I'm definitely going to keep my eyes open for the air date on that VH1 thing.
I'm not quite ready to give up on Elvis the Rocker just yet, but this new Elvis is good, and it was fun watching the Pops set (think old -- actually think old and yacht club at the same time) get into it.
Lisa - This looks like it was a great show, I would have loved to have seen it myself. I forgot you were a New England neighbor!
Lisa,
You're certainly a dedicated fan to make such a trip. Sounds like you had a great time and enjoyed a wonderful show!
Seeing Elvis with the Atlanta Symphony tomorrow, and looking forward to it!!
Two examples of the the kind of thing you do when you're a Costello fan:
1) During his concert at Universal Amphitheater in L.A., I met Elvis backstage (someone had given me an personalized & autographed backstage pass from the San Diego show, and the security guards were so baffled they just let me in. Elvis could've been a jerk to me he was very gracious--and this was in his "angry young man" days.
2)I once saw Costello live five nights in a row at the Wiltern Theater in L.A.--he was doing a spin-the-wheel thing to determine the songs he would play, with surprise celebrity guests (Tom Waits, John Doe from X) playing announcers, carnival setting, go-go dancers in cages--great fun. It was only about a 70-mile drive for me, but I only had tickets for one show (managed to snare tickets or entry for other nights). One night, I met Tom Waits in the lobby and saved him from the clutches of some too-avid fans surrounding him--he motioned me over when he saw me starting to walk away, noticed my reluctance to be another jerk--nice guy, very appreciative, shook my hand ("Thanks, man" in his trademark growl) but I was too speechless to say a lot though I probably could have. Turns out, Waits was the "surprise" celebrity that night, playing the announcer as carnival barker. Perfect.
great review lisa.
i've had the please of seeing Elvis twice. once on that "spinning wheel" tour (dang, no cool guest announcers tho...Tom Waits? yow!) and again on the Spike tour. the only time i've seen one of my guitar heros live: Marc Ribot.
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Lisa: Great review of a concert that I'm so jealous I didn't go to--you know how much of a fan I am, too. And check this out--a tribute concert coming up in Atlantic City:
Fiona Apple, along with Green Day's Billy Joe Armstrong and Death Cab for Cutie, will share the stage with Elvis Costello as they salute him on VH1 Classic's Decades Rock Live. The program, which features younger stars paying homage to musical legends, will tape at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City on May 19th and air later this summer. For tickets to this taping, click here. For more details visit this Sony site
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