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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Southwest Chamber Music announces details of their 2013 Summer Season at The Huntington
Just got the announcement from our friends at Southwest Chamber Music detailing the four concert Summer Season they’ll be offering at The Huntington. I like it. A nice mix of old and new, rare and familiar. Stravinsky under the stars? Check. Britten Anniversary? Check. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik? Check Works by living composers Oliver Knussen and … Continue reading
Anne LeBaron’s latest gem out-sparkles the rest at final LA International New Music Festival concert
In an ideal world, I would have been able to see all four concerts that formed the “LA International New Music Festival 2013” presented by Southwest Chamber Music; alas, life often gets in the way. Thankfully, after multiple thwarted attempts to make my way out to The Colburn School for the festival, I was able … Continue reading
The LA Master Chorale to celebrate its 50th Anniversary with impressive 2013/2014 season
I was very happy to see this very promising information show up in my inbox this afternoon: The Los Angeles Master Chorale announced their 2013/2014 season, a year which celebrates a pair of anniversaries: 50 years since it’s founding by the legendary Roger Wagner as one of the Los Angeles Music Center’s resident companies. 10 … Continue reading
And the hits just keep on coming . . .
Just when I was hitting my stride again with writing and blogging, I managed to injure my shoulder and arm. After trying to fight through the increasing pain and soreness, I finally got in checked out last week and discovered that I had actually torn something — muscle, tendon, ligament — not sure which yet. … Continue reading
LA Phil tuning up the programs they are taking on tour (part 2 of 3): Dudamel swings for the fences with “La mer” & “Firebird”
“I think that Debussy is, perhaps, the most important composer of this century. I also happen to think that today, the future of classical music has a lot to do with Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, and less to do with Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern. The relationship between Debussy and Stravinsky is particularly interesting. First of all, … Continue reading
A brief word about my last bottle of ’95 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Recently, we were on our way to celebrate a family birthday at Chez Melange, the celebrant’s restaurant of choice. As we were about to leave the house, I peeked into our “wine cellar” to grab a wine for the evening — specifically, a cabernet sauvignon, since we all seemed to be in a beef & … Continue reading
Live tweeting from tonight’s final dress rehearsal of LA Opera’s “Flying Dutchman”
Once again, the nice folks at Los Angeles Opera have invited me and the rest of the distinguished usual suspects to share our insightful observations, witty opinions, and occasional double entendres at the final dress rehearsal of one of their productions — 140 characters at a time. Tonight’s fun: The Flying Dutchman by Richard Wagner. … Continue reading
LA Phil tuning up the programs they are taking on tour (part 1 of 3): Packing up the Green Umbrella for a road trip
The Los Angeles Philharmonic has begun presenting to local audiences the programs they will be taking on tour, all of which include music exclusively from the 20th and 21st Century. London, Lucerne, Paris, and New York get the two big programs: one featuring works by Vivier, Debussy, and Stravinsky; the other with John Adams’s massive oratorio, The … Continue reading
All Reviews / Music News & Info: Classical / Other classical music concerts and recitals (in So Cal and beyond) / Reviews 2012/2013
Jacaranda’s latest concert highlighted by 4handLA’s piano rendition of “The Rite of Spring”
The folks at “Jacaranda, Music on the Edge” are on a bit of a roll. The seats at Santa Monica’s First Presbyterian Church (AKA “First Preb”) were almost all full and the crowd was enthusiastic. The program, billed as “Thresholds: The Scandals of 1912-13” was chock-a-block with works from the Second Viennese School; however, in … Continue reading
All Reviews / Appointments / Auditions & Appointments / Los Angeles Philharmonic / Music News & Info: Classical / Reviews 2012/2013
Dudamel, Shaham, and LA Phil make old standards sound fresh; Julien Beaudiment sits in as first-chair flute
Gustavo Dudamel returned to the Los Angeles Philharmonic podium for the first time since October 14, 2012. Most of the next few weeks will be devoted to preparing programs for the orchestra’s upcoming tour to Europe and New York, but this past weekend’s concerts were not going to be played out of town. On paper, … Continue reading
RIP Van Cliburn
Sad news comes that pianist Van Cliburn has passed away this morning in Fort Worth, TX. He was 78 years old. I was a Van Cliburn fan from an early age. He was the first world-class pianist I ever knew by name, thanks to my parents owning his LP (yes, vinyl 33-1/3) of Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody … Continue reading
Dutoit finally gets to show his Austro-Germanic side in latest program with the LA Phil; Gautier Capuçon & Carrie Dennis stellar in “Don Quixote”
Charles Dutoit’s annual visits to conduct the Los Angeles Philharmonic have become a highlight of every season, and his residency this year was more of the glorious same. Adding to the joy was the chance to see and hear him conduct something other than the FrancoRussian rut he has been in during the past seven … Continue reading
Observations from LA Phil’s 2013/14 season presser (um, “Death of Klinghoffer” perhaps?!!)
As promised, I did my best to tweet details of the upcoming Los Angeles Philharmonic 2013/2014 season. That said, I’m sure there are those among you who didn’t follow along for whatever reason — perhaps you were otherwise occupied, or maybe you just don’t do that newfangled Twitter thing, or the dog ate your homework. … Continue reading
Planning to live tweet from today’s LA Phil 2013/2014 season announcement
The Los Angeles Philharmonic will be announcing the details of their 2013/2014 season today’s at 12noon Pacific Time. I will be there, and for those wanting up-to-the-minute info, I am planning to live tweet from today’s press conference using the hashtag “#LAPhil1314” starting around 11:45am. To follow along, click HERE to get to http://www.twitter.com/MrCKDH or … Continue reading
James Conlon extends contract to be Music Director of LA Opera until 2018
At the end of my review of last year’s production of Albert Herring, I wrote this about James Conlon: “Long may he reign at Los Angeles Opera.” It looks like I’ll get my wish — at least for another five years. The company just announced that Mr. Conlon has extended his contract as LA Opera’s … Continue reading
All is Yar 