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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Some Bruckner for your Good Friday
Anton Bruckner wrote multiple settings of “Christus Factus Est Pro Nobis.” This particular one is near and dear to my heart because it was the first Bruckner motet I learned to sing. In fact, it was the first Bruckner work of any kind to which I was introduced. Here’s a rendition by the Bristol Cathedral … Continue reading
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra / Los Angeles Master Chorale / Los Angeles Philharmonic / Music News & Info: Classical / Philharmonic Society of Orange County
April is full of cool — not cruel — stuff to do
Long before Madonna was the most famous American in self-imposed exile in the UK, another noteworthy American-turned-Brit wrote some unkind words about April (or at least that’s what the Thunder said). Whatever. Don’t believe the hype — April is a kick-ass month, and this one in particular is full of all kinds of stuff … Continue reading
Excellent again: LA Master Chorale shines in Bach’s St. John Passion
I don’t remember the last time I heard the Los Angeles Master Chorale have a less-than-impressive performance, let alone a bad day. It’s had to happen; the group is only human, after all. The Master Chorale has a long and distinguished history, but ever since Grant Gershon took over as Music Director in 2001, its … Continue reading
All Reviews / Music News & Info: Classical / Other classical music concerts and recitals (in So Cal and beyond) / Reviews 2011/2012
A worthwhile Wednesday: “Spring Recital 2012” by Radu Pieptea and Bryan Pezzone
One of the benefits of living in a “big city” is that arts and entertainment options are relatively frequent and easy to come by. This provides both opportunities and challenges to both audiences and performers. For audiences: how do you choose to spend your valuable time and money? For performers: how do you break through … Continue reading
Save Powell Hall — the video
See for yourself what the St. Louis Symphony is up against. . . .The horror. The horror. Do your part today to help Save Powell Hall. Continue reading
Interest earned: LACO’s “Sound Investment” with Timothy Andres pays off handsomely
Timothy “Timo” Andres was a busy man about Los Angeles this past week. Thursday night, he played Sorbet, his solo piano palate-cleanser, as part of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s “Westside Connections” series. Friday night and Saturday afternoon, he joined wild Up’s concerts highlighting younger composers and, as they described it, “the music of right … Continue reading
All Reviews / Food / Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra / Music News & Info: Classical / Reviews 2011/2012
Yummilicious: Jonathan Gold sets the table for LACO’s musical sampler
The good folks at the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra have no qualms about taking non-standard approaches to building concert programs. Case in point: their annual “Westside Connections” series of three events curated by Margaret Batjer, LACO concertmaster, attempting to link music to the designated topic-of-the-year. This year’s edition looks for links between music and food. Each concert invites a different … Continue reading
Save Powell Hall
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
Public service announcement: Actor’s Rags to Sequins Eurovision Dream (A.R.S.E.D.)
“Every three seconds, someone in the world is cast in the musical, Les Miserables. They believe they will dream the dream, but instead, are living a nightmare. . . .” Continue reading
Better uses of my time
Many of my esteemed fellow bloggers — including, but not limited to, Lisa at Iron Tongue of Midnight and Brian at Out West Arts, just to name a couple — have taken Spring for Music to task for their little contest. Good for them. I was going to refrain from any comment whatsoever because I barely have time to write/blog about things … Continue reading
Friends and neighbors: the first two Piatigorsky Cello Festival concerts by the LA Phil
It’s been a while since Neeme Jarvi has stood on the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s podium. The last time he led them downtown was at the end of the 1988/89 winter season, when he was tapped to replace Andre Previn who had withdrawn on short notice with an injury after having resigned as Music Director just … Continue reading
All Reviews / Los Angeles Philharmonic / Music News & Info: Classical / Other classical music concerts and recitals (in So Cal and beyond) / Reviews 2011/2012
Absurdity for all ages: Long Beach Opera and LA Phil’s Toyota Symphonies for Youth
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
Verdi and video games
Thanks to the iPod touch game, “N.O.V.A. 2” by Gameloft, CKDH Jr. has a new favorite piece of classical music: The “Dies Irae” from Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem. We have a recording of the Requiem by Fritz Reiner conducting the Vienna Philharmonic, and the “Dies Irae” is now on constant repeat. Nothing like hearing it cranked up … Continue reading
All Reviews / Music News & Info: Classical / Other classical music concerts and recitals (in So Cal and beyond)
The future looks bright: Los Angeles Children’s Chorus and American Youth Symphony at Walt Disney Concert Hall
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
“Sun Also Rises” at MB Post
I cannot eat often enough at Manhattan Beach Post. In less than a year, it has gone from South Bay newcomer to So Cal institution. The most recent of their many noteworthy accolades was the announcement that Chef David LeFevre and his very popular “social house” are up for two 2012 James Beard Awards (“Best Chef, Pacific” and … Continue reading
All is Yar 