REVIEW: Paavo Järvi opens eyes and ears with latest LA Phil appearance
You still pondering who could be the next Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic? Paavo Järvi has entered the chat.
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Please excuse the mess
As you may have noticed, posts during June have slowed down. That’s because the All is Yar IT Department (that’s me) has been co-opting time and energy from the All is Yar Editorial Department (still me) to develop the first design refresh of this website in two years. Unfortunately, like many remodeling projects, this one … Continue reading
All Reviews / Music News & Info: Classical / Other classical music concerts and recitals (in So Cal and beyond) / Reviews 2012/2013
Saturday at the Ojai Music Festival: ain’t no party like a West Coast party cuz a West Coast party don’t stop
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
All Reviews / Music News & Info: Classical / Music News & Info: Rock, Jazz, World Music, etc. / Other classical music concerts and recitals (in So Cal and beyond) / Pacific Symphony / Reviews 2012/2013
“The Rite of Spring” served up 3 ways: shaken, straight up, and blended (c/o Ojai, Pacific Symphony, and UCI)
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
Photos from the 2013 Ojai Music Festival
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
And now for something completely different: a chronological cover of Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky”
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
Season enders (part 1 of 2): Alisa Weilerstein closes LACO’s final 2012/13 concert with a flourish
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
Julien Beaudiment offered LA Phil’s Principal Flute chair
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
For your consideration: Kenneth Branagh’s version of “The Magic Flute” finally available on DVD in the US
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
Interviews / Music News & Info: Classical / Other classical music concerts and recitals (in So Cal and beyond)
An in-depth conversation with Thomas W. Morris, Artistic Director of the Ojai Music Festival
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
Seeing “Figaro” again: after Thursday’s performance, more random other thoughts about LA Phil’s latest gem
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
Appealingly over the top: Sondra Radvanovsky is an ideal Tosca for LA Opera, with ample support from Domingo and Caird
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
Photos from LA Opera’s current production of “Tosca”
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
RIP Henri Dutilleux
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
All Reviews / Architecture / Los Angeles Philharmonic / Music News & Info: Classical / Reviews 2012/2013
A magnificent “Marriage of Figaro:” LA Phil’s modern staging of Mozart classic is a huge success on all fronts
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
Photos from opening night of “The Marriage of Figaro” at Walt Disney Concert Hall (UPDATED May 21)
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
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