The Pacific Symphony’s choice of Alexander Shelley as its next Music Director has been a solid so far. He has crafted compelling programs. He’s made concise yet informative pre-performance comments from the podium. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s young, dashing, personable, and therefore a marketing department’s dream. Most importantly, he’s shown the capacity for …
My two-part review of this past weekend’s 67th Ojai Music Festival will be up very soon. In the meantime, please enjoy these photos from the weekend (see the gallery below). Except for a few shots taken by me (as noted in the descriptions), most of the photos — in fact, pretty much all the really … Continue reading
Mad props to the esteemed Brian Lauritzen for unearthing this gem. As he says, it’s better than the original. And don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong with the audio — it’s supposed to be like that, you’ll see. (Oh, and if you’re wondering what the original is like, click HERE) 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
Late last week, multiple sources started buzzing with word that the Los Angeles Philharmonic had finally filled their vacant Principal Flute chair. According to those sources, French flutist Julien Beaudiment was hired for the position. The current Principal Flute of the Orchestre de l’Opéra National de Lyon, he played a stint in Walt Disney Concert Hall this … 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
Good news, Ojai Music Festival fans: your year-long wait for the next iteration of this wonderfully wacky artistic experience is finally over. Today marks the beginning of the 67th edition of this venerable Southern California homage to adventurous music. This year’s Music Director is Mark Morris (yes, the choreographer) — at first blush, a seemingly unlikely choice, … 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
For your viewing pleasure, I’ve assembled various production and behind the scenes pictures from Los Angeles Opera’s current version of Puccini’s Tosca. Photo credits include Robert Millard, Los Angeles Opera’s website and Facebook page, Lawrence K. Ho of the Los Angeles Times, and Brian Lauritzen. In addition, click HERE for sketches drawn by Mike Sheehan … Continue reading
Word comes from Paris that French composer Henri Dutilleux has died at the age of 97. Obituaries below from some diverse sources: Schott Music has a very detailed one HERE Tom Service in The Guardian writes a short obit HERE which links to a much longer article he wrote this past January about the composer’s … 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
Last night, I had the good fortune to be able to attend the first performance of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s fully staged production of The Marriage of Figaro. It was, in a word, glorious. My full review can be found HERE. will be posted in the next day or so. In the meantime, please enjoy the … Continue reading
Los Angeles Opera’s final production of the year, Puccini’s Tosca, opens this Saturday. Sondra Radvanovsky sings the title role, joined by Marco Berti as Cavaradossi and Lado Ataneli as uber-villain, Scarpia. Plácido Domingo, LA Opera’s own resident impressario-cum-tenor-cum-baritone-cum-conductor, wields the baton for all performances but one. The final dress rehearsal will be tonight, and once again, I’ll … Continue reading
The big buzz this morning is the Boston Symphony’s long-awaited announcement as to who will fill their Music Director’s chair that has been vacant since James Levine officially stepped down in 2011 (though health problems kept Mr. Levine away from the podium long before that). The choice: Andris Nelsons, the 34-year old Latvian maestro who has … Continue reading
The video gem below comes care of Steve Dumaine, Principal Tuba of the National Symphony. Here, he shows his range — not only giving his high-end chops a workout by playing a well-known piece outside of the standard tuba repertoire, but also doing it on a rather atypical instrument. Random other thoughts: I like this … Continue reading
All is Yar 