Saw links to the two videos below via Twitter earlier today, and I felt compelled to share both of them here. If they seem like an unlikely match — well, what can I say, I have diverse tastes in music. The first is Ligeti’s “Hungarian Rock (Chaconne),” originally written for harpsichord but arranged here for … Continue reading
A little over a week ago, David Robertson returned to the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s podium for the first time in over five years, and for the life of me, I have a hard time understanding why it’s taken so long. First and foremost, his broad repertoire featuring impeccable credentials in 20th and 21st Century music … Continue reading
Halfway through Los Angeles Opera’s current run of Rossini’s Cinderella (La Cenerentola), they introduced a new singer into the title role: Ketevan Kemoklidze, a winner of Plácido Domingo’s “Operalia” competition, made her company debut as she took over for Kate Lindsey this past Wednesday night. It’s never easy joining a cast in midstream, and still the … Continue reading
The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra often plays larger symphonic works — and does so quite well — but one of the joys and privileges of having a standing chamber group like them is the chance to hear pieces written for small to medium-sized ensembles that a full-sized orchestra would not take on. Their most recent concerts … Continue reading
Interesting to find out about the latest iTunes release from the Los Angeles Philharmonic. They just recorded and released these two works a few years ago under Esa-Pekka Salonen for the same label, so it’s a bit of a surprise that they’d put them out again so soon. But then again, maybe not. As I … Continue reading
Last Friday, Carl St.Clair and the Pacific Symphony took on two seemingly disparate giants of the orchestral repertoire, Johann Sebastian Bach and Gustav Mahler. The program notes mentioned Mahler’s interest in Bach’s counterpoint during the time he wrote his Fifth Symphony, spurring the creation of some contrapuntal elements of the score. It made sense in … Continue reading
Los Angeles Opera’s latest production of Rossini’s Cinderella (La Cenerentola) which debuted this past Saturday has everything you’d want in a comic opera: an excellent cast that can sing and act well, a clever production, and a great sense of humor. The story might not be told exactly the way you know it — the evil step-mother … Continue reading
The Los Angeles Philharmonic is in the midst of the continental European leg of its tour to London, Lucerne, Paris, and New York. Reviews of concerts in London have been consistent in their high praise of the orchestra’s performance and sound in the fairly adventurous repertoire they have taken on the road. On balance, they … Continue reading
Good chemistry between a conductor and orchestra is a difficult thing to predict or explain, but as former Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart might say, I know it when I see it. And I know I saw — and heard — it this past Monday night when David Robertson brought the St. Louis Symphony into … Continue reading
Just got the announcement from our friends at Southwest Chamber Music detailing the four concert Summer Season they’ll be offering at The Huntington. I like it. A nice mix of old and new, rare and familiar. Stravinsky under the stars? Check. Britten Anniversary? Check. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik? Check Works by living composers Oliver Knussen and … Continue reading
In an ideal world, I would have been able to see all four concerts that formed the “LA International New Music Festival 2013” presented by Southwest Chamber Music; alas, life often gets in the way. Thankfully, after multiple thwarted attempts to make my way out to The Colburn School for the festival, I was able … Continue reading
I was very happy to see this very promising information show up in my inbox this afternoon: The Los Angeles Master Chorale announced their 2013/2014 season, a year which celebrates a pair of anniversaries: 50 years since it’s founding by the legendary Roger Wagner as one of the Los Angeles Music Center’s resident companies. 10 … Continue reading
Just when I was hitting my stride again with writing and blogging, I managed to injure my shoulder and arm. After trying to fight through the increasing pain and soreness, I finally got in checked out last week and discovered that I had actually torn something — muscle, tendon, ligament — not sure which yet. … Continue reading
“I think that Debussy is, perhaps, the most important composer of this century. I also happen to think that today, the future of classical music has a lot to do with Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, and less to do with Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern. The relationship between Debussy and Stravinsky is particularly interesting. First of all, … Continue reading
Recently, we were on our way to celebrate a family birthday at Chez Melange, the celebrant’s restaurant of choice. As we were about to leave the house, I peeked into our “wine cellar” to grab a wine for the evening — specifically, a cabernet sauvignon, since we all seemed to be in a beef & … Continue reading
All is Yar 