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
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
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
Last Friday, Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony made their long-awaited visit to the Southland with a one-night stop at Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa. The whole affair had a “take it or leave it” feel, beginning with the curiously obscure program of works by Honegger, Mason Bates, and Franck, and ending with Mr. … Continue reading
Tonight, the Chicago Symphony arrives in Southern California after too long an absence. The antici . . . pation is finally coming to an end. You’ve downloaded your free MP3 of Franck’s Symphony in d minor, listened to it intently, and now you’re ready for the real thing. A few last minute bits of fun: Continue reading
The mighty Chicago Symphony Orchestra is coming to California next week, their first West Coast visit in decades. The impetus for their visit is to help the San Francisco Symphony celebrate their centennial, and since they made it this far, they’re making additional stops in Costa Mesa, Palm Desert, and San Diego. The CSO Brass … Continue reading
The symphony orchestras of both Chicago (HERE) and St. Louis (HERE) announced their respective 2012/2013 seasons. Each was interesting and noteworthy, but in very different ways. Continue reading
“I always hated the Diabelli Variations,” writes Marino Formenti. Coming from any other pianist, this would sound like a confession. Marino Formenti is not “any other pianist.” The Italian-born musician only began studying Beethoven’s meandering piano work at the recent request of Dean Corey, President and Artistic Director of the Philharmonic Society of Orange County. … Continue reading
The Los Angeles Philharmonic’s all-Gershwin season opening gala may have occured many months ago, but PBS’s “Great Performances” is only now getting around to broadcasting the video from the concert — most of it, anyway. Better late (and abridged) than never. The first broadcast is this evening at 6pm Pacific Time (on KPBS and PBS … Continue reading
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
School only started a few weeks ago, but the members of the Colburn School Conservatory’s flagship ensemble, The Colburn Orchestra, held their first concert of the year this past Saturday night. Yehuda Gilad, music director and wold-renowned clarinet pedagogue, led the first in a five concert series at the famed Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena. Thanks … Continue reading
The reviews are in from this year’s Ojai Music Festival, and most are quite positive overall. Music director Dawn Upshaw not surprisingly got most of the praise, with the rest of this year’s guests — Richard Tongetti & the Australian Chamber Orchestra, red fish blue fish, Maria Schneider & her orchestra, among many others — … Continue reading
All is Yar 