The good folks at the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra have no qualms about taking non-standard approaches to building concert programs. Case in point: their annual “Westside Connections” series of three events curated by Margaret Batjer, LACO concertmaster, attempting to link music to the designated topic-of-the-year. This year’s edition looks for links between music and food. Each concert invites a different … Continue reading
Author Archives: CK Dexter Haven
Save Powell Hall
The St. Louis Symphony implores you: Save Powell Hall. You have until April 14th. Do it now, before it’s too late. . . . If you have no idea what I’m talking about, click HERE. Has there ever been a better, more clever campaign by any orchestra? No. No, there hasn’t. Kudos to the SLSO. … Continue reading
Public service announcement: Actor’s Rags to Sequins Eurovision Dream (A.R.S.E.D.)
“Every three seconds, someone in the world is cast in the musical, Les Miserables. They believe they will dream the dream, but instead, are living a nightmare. . . .” Continue reading
Better uses of my time
Many of my esteemed fellow bloggers — including, but not limited to, Lisa at Iron Tongue of Midnight and Brian at Out West Arts, just to name a couple — have taken Spring for Music to task for their little contest. Good for them. I was going to refrain from any comment whatsoever because I barely have time to write/blog about things … Continue reading
Friends and neighbors: the first two Piatigorsky Cello Festival concerts by the LA Phil
It’s been a while since Neeme Jarvi has stood on the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s podium. The last time he led them downtown was at the end of the 1988/89 winter season, when he was tapped to replace Andre Previn who had withdrawn on short notice with an injury after having resigned as Music Director just … Continue reading
Absurdity for all ages: Long Beach Opera and LA Phil’s Toyota Symphonies for Youth
At first blush, a matinee at Long Beach Opera (LBO) would seem to have little in common with one of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Toyota Symphonies for Youth (TSFY) educational concerts. If you knew that one had programmed a double-bill of surrealist operas by Poulenc (The Breasts of Tiresias) and Martinů (Tears of a Knife), while the … Continue reading
Verdi and video games
Thanks to the iPod touch game, “N.O.V.A. 2” by Gameloft, CKDH Jr. has a new favorite piece of classical music: The “Dies Irae” from Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem. We have a recording of the Requiem by Fritz Reiner conducting the Vienna Philharmonic, and the “Dies Irae” is now on constant repeat. Nothing like hearing it cranked up … Continue reading
The future looks bright: Los Angeles Children’s Chorus and American Youth Symphony at Walt Disney Concert Hall
The fact that the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC) is excellent should not be news. They’ve had many opportunities to impress when performing with the likes of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, most recently as part of the massive choir for Mahler’s Eighth Symphony. That said, they don’t usually get a chance to show off on … Continue reading
“Sun Also Rises” at MB Post
I cannot eat often enough at Manhattan Beach Post. In less than a year, it has gone from South Bay newcomer to So Cal institution. The most recent of their many noteworthy accolades was the announcement that Chef David LeFevre and his very popular “social house” are up for two 2012 James Beard Awards (“Best Chef, Pacific” and … Continue reading
A March full of music
A smattering of musical stuff to check out over the next 31 days . . . Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s “Westside Connections” Margaret Batjer, LACO’s Concertmaster, curates this novel combination of food-themed music and discussion about gastronamy and the culinary arts. The first of three presentations is tonight and features LACO musicians being joined by … Continue reading
Happy Birthday, Gioachino Rossini (with classic video footage)
On this leap day in 1792, the great Italian composer, Gioachino Rossini, was born. He wrote over 30 operas along with many other works, but he is probably best known for The Barber of Seville. So in honor of Signore Rossini’s 220th birthday, I offer you The Barber of Seville the way most of us … Continue reading
Charles Dutoit leads a refreshing night with the LA Phil
A program of Stravinsky, Debussy, and Prokofiev may still be considered adventurous in some concert halls, but for many years, it was the norm at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The 20th Century French and Russian composers seemed to turn up on the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s programs as often (if not more so) than Mozart, Brahms, … Continue reading
RIP Maurice André
The word “great” is often overused, but there can be no doubt that it applies to Maurice André. The French trumpeter, renowned worldwide for his artistry and leadership, has died at the age of 78. He won his first prize for trumpet in 1953. It was the first of many more awards and honors to come, … Continue reading
LA Opera’s Albert Herring is a light-hearted king of a comedy
Quick — imagine an opera, any opera, in your head. I’ll wait. . . . I’m guessing that you probably came up with large-bodied singers standing in one place belting out big arias in a foreign language (probably Italian, German, or French) over the strains of a big orchestra; lots of murder, suicide, rape, and … Continue reading
RIP Lorin Levee, LA Phil Principal Clarinet
According to KUSC’s Twitter feed, Lorin Levee, Principal Clarinet of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, has passed away. He was 61 years old. The information was retweeted by the LA Phil, so I’m guessing that the sad news is accurate. Thoughts, prayers, and condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues. No additional details, andthe orchestra has … Continue reading