On this date in 1865, Jean Sibelius, Finnish composer and nationalist, was born. In his honor, below is a brief excerpt of his Second Symphony played by the Gothenburg Symphony, conducted by their Music Director, Gustavo Dudamel. If you want to hear the whole thing, here’s also a live recording of the whole Second Symphony conducted by Esa-Pekka … Continue reading
Author Archives: CK Dexter Haven
Visiting the speakeasies of New York: Please Don’t Tell (PDT)
At first blush, Please Don’t Tell (or “PDT” as it is often called) takes the nouveau speakeasy concept of Milk & Honey — nondescript entrance leading to bar with limited seating manned by a mixologist — up a notch or two. Despite those similarities, a visit to the two venues feels completely different: where Milk … Continue reading
Fashionably late: Salonen and the LA Phil take on lost-and-found Shostakovich
Esa-Pekka Salonen was back for his second week with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. With a world premiere of the abandoned opera, Orango, paired with the withdrawn-for-25-years Symphony No. 4, his all-Shostakovich concerts were a study of two contrasting works that had both been hidden and eventually brought to new light. To add to the lost-and-found theme, E-P himself … Continue reading
Gustavo Dudamel and new music: some comparisons to Salonen (Part Two of an ongoing series)
With Esa-Pekka Salonen returning for a second weekend to the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s podium, and with me trying to kill an hour before tonight’s all-Shostakovich program begins at Walt Disney Concert Hall, I thought it was time to fulfill a promise I made in a prior discussion; namely, to compare Mr. Salonen’s penchant for conducting … Continue reading
All Reviews / Los Angeles Master Chorale / Los Angeles Philharmonic / Music News & Info: Classical / Reviews 2011/2012
Listening to “Sirens” without being tied to a mast: Salonen and the LA Phil with Ax, Hillborg, and Beethoven
Esa-Pekka Salonen is back, and there is much rejoicing. All the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Conductor Laureate had to do was merely walk on stage Sunday afternoon, and the applause was enthusiastic and loud cheers were already audible. He didn’t disappoint. The first series of his two week stint was vintage Salonen. Continue reading
The LA Phil makes some more offers
Just a few months ago, the Los Angeles Philharmonic made a fairly big splash in the brass world by offering the soon-to-be-vacant (in 2012) Principal Trumpet chair to Thomas Hooten, currently principal of the Atlanta Symphony. Now it seems they’re doing it again, this time to fill the position of Principal Trombone. Multiple sources have … Continue reading
Meeting Mozart
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you met Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? The REAL Mozart? Today? Stephen T. Harper, writer extraordinaire, did. Or perhaps instead of wondering, he and his awesome wife, Christie Harper, actually met the guy. It’s tough to tell . . . they are both friends of All is Yar, so you … Continue reading
Happy Thanksgiving
Many thanks to all of you for making All is Yar a small part of your day. I hope you have a wonderful holiday filled with good food and drink, spent with people you care for. And football. Hope it’s got some football in there too. Continue reading
A little later than I thought
I had finished my post of Bernard Haitink conducting the New York Philharmonic a few days back, but for various reasons (mainly due to more connectivity issues while traveling), it never got posted until today. I back-dated the post to the day I finished writing it (last Friday), but for your convenience, here is a … Continue reading
Two women and an orchestra: Emmanuelle Haïm and Sonya Yoncheva debut with the LA Phil in an all-Händel program
On paper, Sunday afternoon’s concerts belonged to conductor Emmanuelle Haïm. The reality was that and much more. Ms. Haïm dominated the concert. Many musicians had solo turns of one sort or another, and two — oboist Ariana Ghez and recorder player (or is it recordist?) Rotem Gilbert — even played front and center. Yet when it was … Continue reading
RIP Irving Geller
Irving Geller, former Associate Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and first violin with the orchestra from 1951-1999, passed away on November 16, 2011. He was 85 years old. Mr. Geller joined the LA Phil as one of its youngest members after having served as Assistant Concertmaster of the San Antonio Symphony for three years. … Continue reading
All Reviews / Music News & Info: Classical / New York / Other classical music concerts and recitals (in So Cal and beyond) / Reviews 2011/2012 / Travel
Thoughts on Haitink, the New York Philharmonic, and Avery Fisher Hall
As previously mentioned, I made a “game day decision” last Saturday night to see Bernard Haitink conduct the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall. Note that I listed Mr. Haitink’s name first, then the orchestra, then the hall: chalk up the opportunity to see the legendary Dutch conductor in person for the first time … Continue reading
Free performance of Ives piano sonata by Susan Svrček this coming Sunday
Let’s face it: you and I are always up for a bargain, especially when the product is quality live music and the price is “free-fifty-free.” On Sunday, November 20th, Pianist Susan Svrček will be performing the Piano Sonata No. 2 “Concord Sonata” by Charles Ives at 4pm at the Steinway Piano Gallery in West Hollywood. Admission is … Continue reading
Visiting the speakeasies of New York: Milk & Honey
Milk & Honey is kinda like the music you listened to in high school: regardless of how much your everyday tastes may have changed or your repertoire has diversified, you’ll always have a soft spot for it and return to it often. It may be tough to say who reignited the speakeasy and mixology movements, … Continue reading
Game day decision: Haitink and the New York Philharmonic
It is my last full day in NY, and as luck would have it, I was able to wrap up my Day Job responsibilities a little earlier than originally anticipated. After pondering some options, I decided to dash over to Lincoln Center to see Bernard Haitink conduct the “other” Philharmonic. The program is decidedly middle-of-the-road … Continue reading
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