There have been so many performances this season of The Rite of Spring (AKA Le sacre du printemps in the original français) in celebration of the work’s centenary that some people have expressed concerns that the work was becoming over-exposed. You wouldn’t have known it by the number of seats filled Tuesday night at the Hollywood Bowl … Continue reading
When last we saw Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero — AKA Rodrigo y Gabriela — at the Hollywood Bowl, it was for their 2011 debut at the legendary amphitheater when they played two nights backed up by the full forces of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Between then and now, they appeared locally at smaller venues … Continue reading
Last Saturday night, Southwest Chamber Music opened the 20th anniversary season of their annual Summer Festival. Stravinsky’s Octet and Mozart’s Gran Partita provided the primary motivation for attending, especially if one happened to be a fan of wind instruments. But deep in the hundred acre woods of The Huntington where Jeff von der Schmidt and … Continue reading
The setting for last week’s first classical music concert of the 2013 Hollywood Bowl season couldn’t have been more perfect: the temperature was a picnic-perfect low 70’s, cooling down just a little as the sun set; the sky was clear and cloudless, and a very slight breeze blew through the amphitheater. It was, as the great … Continue reading
One of the joys of living Los Angeles is having a plethora of wonderful places to eat. The challenge, however, is finding time in one’s schedule to make your way across town to try the latest place, and that is IF you actually can get a reservation for a day/time that fits your schedule. If … Continue reading
Listening to music you’ve never heard before is, by definition, full of unknowns. One aspect you don’t always think about is how long a piece will take to play. Printed program notes frequently include estimated timings, but that isn’t always the case, and you’re at the mercy of the composer’s and musicians’ ability to keep … Continue reading
At the opening talk of this year’s Ojai Music Festival last Thursday, Ara Guzelimien (Provost & Dean of The Julliard School and former Artistic Director of the Ojai Festival) astutely observed that The Rite of Spring has become big business. What used to scare audiences now regularly packs houses. With all of the buzz surrounding … Continue reading
When the Piatigorsky International Cello Festival was in town last year, I managed to catch two of the three concerto performances that different soloists were performing with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The one I soloist I missed: Alisa Weilerstein. At the time, someone told me I had made a mistake. Judging by the strength of … Continue reading
Kenneth Branagh filmed his cinematic adaptation of Mozart’s The Magic Flute in the middle of the last decade as part of the 250th Anniversary celebrations for that opera. It was screened at the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals in 2006; however, it was not shown in United States theaters nor was it released on DVDs that … Continue reading
I was so enthralled by the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s production of The Marriage of Figaro that I wanted — needed — to see it again. So last night, I decided to Tivo the King’s playoff game and head back to Walt Disney Concert Hall for another go at it. Turned out to be the right … Continue reading
If I were to look up “diva” in the dictionary, I’d half expect to see one of the definitions — maybe THE definition — to be “Floria Tosca.” The character after which Puccini named his famous opera has all the attributes that would come to mind when I think of a diva: petulant but passionate, … Continue reading
This past Friday night, the Los Angeles Philharmonic unveiled the latest foray into its three-year “Mozart/DaPonte Trilogy” project, the first ever performance (staged or otherwise) of The Marriage of Figaro in the orchestra’s history. It was glorious in every respect: visually striking, dramatically compelling, and musically excellent. Before a single note was played, one marveled at … Continue reading
Quick, name a Handel oratorio besides Messiah. . . . Not that easy, is it? They aren’t exactly common fare, and I’m willing to bet that few of you would have come up with Jephtha, especially if Harry Christophers and the good folks at the Handel and Haydn Society (aka “H&H”) hadn’t decided to resurrect … 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
All is Yar 