A Late-Season Highlight

, Berlin1 July 2017Reviewed by Jesse SimonThe Pierre Boulez Saal, which opened in March of this year, was designed primarily for smaller ensembles: its capacity (around 700), its in-the-round seating, and its fine-grained acoustic offer a level of proximity to both the music and the performers that is rare even in a more traditional chamber music space. Yet the hall, it turns out, is equally suited to a classically-sized orchestra, and the opportunity to hear three of Schubert’s early symphonies in such an intimate setting proved to be one of the undisputed highlights of Berlin’s recently-ended concert season.As part of the Boulez Saal’s ongoing exploration of Schubert’s music – which has already featured the piano sonatas and will, in the coming years, include the complete string quartets and a survey of the songs – the Staatskapelle…