Los Angeles

HEIGH-HO, HECTOR! The full house at Walt Disney Concert Hall buzzed with excitement as fast-paced whispers reverberated through the crowd when Hector Olivera opened his solo organ recital by walking directly to the remote console on stage, placing his stuffed Kermit the Frog doll next to him, where the frog appeared to be waiting for…

DAWSON GETS HIS DUE IN LA PHIL’S FIRST PERFORMANCE OF HIS NEGRO FOLK SYMPHONY The swellegant Maestro Roderick Cox returned to Disney Hall with the LA Phil last weekend. Even knowing the talent of the conductor, players, and guest violinist Karen Gomyo, there were some surprises at this stupendous program. The first came before the…

SHEKU INHABITS HAYDN I hear an old soul in his playing. English cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, aka Sheku, is a decent, heartfelt, unpretentious performer, and his music follows suit. He evokes some kind of sacred spirit in his cello playing, which is dreamy and soothing while being exhilarating. He does Casals, Du Pre & Rostropovich proud,…

AMERICAN PREMIERE OF VIVALDI’S HERCULES IN THERMODON: A WINNER PACIFIC OPERA PROJECT’S JOSH SHAW: THE HERCULES OF OPERA PRODUCTIONS The Four Seasons composer and violin virtuoso Antonio Vivaldi reckoned to have written 94 operas, yet only 49 have been identified by musicologists; of these, a mere 22 survive, most found in the Library of Turin….

Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT) walked quickly to the podium at Disney Hall and when he arrived, he stood, frozen, for an extended period of time, as if he were calling upon a moment of silence and so, when the first bars of Claude Debussy’s Prélude í   L’Après-midi  d’un faune were heard, they seemed to emanate from the…

Mahler’s symphonic farewell, the Ninth, is remarkable and must be seen live. Beginning and ending with slow movements, the Ninth repeatedly flouts tradition, combining raw, raucous enthusiasm with heartbreaking gestures of acceptance and final goodbyes. Below is an overview of the monumental composition which will enlighten your experience when you see Michael Tilson Thomas —…

A PROJECT MORE THAN A COHESIVE OPERA The heavily hyped revival of director Peter Sellars’ and video artist Bill Viola’s production of Wagner’s monumental opera Tristan and Isolde has landed at Disney Hall with a whimper rather than a bang. In Wagner’s own vision, his operas were to be staged as a “total artwork” (Gesamtkunstwerk),…

A SONOROUS CELEBRATION PEALS THROUGH DISNEY HALL Is there anything more festive than a soaring chorus singing carols during the holiday? Listening to the LA Master Chorale in the majestic Walt Disney Hall is the perfect way to do it. Under the direction of Grant Gershon, 62 singers, pianist, organist, and percussionist make beautiful music…