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Music
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Opera Review: MAGDALENE (Beth Morrison Project at REDCAT)
MEHDALENE On Tuesday, REDCAT hosted the west coast premiere of Beth Morrison Projects’ 2020 one-woman opera, Magdalene. A collective all-female endeavor, it has Morrison as creative producer, Danielle Birrittella and Zoe Aja Moore as “creators,” Marie Howe as poet, and 14 different composers. If that sounds messy, then gird your loins. Magdalene is yet another…
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Music / Film Review: PHOTOPLAY MUSIC: NEW WORKS FOR THE SILENT FILM ERA (HOCKET, Sarah Gibson and Thomas Kotcheff at The Nimoy)
NEW MUSIC FOR SILENT FILMS COULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT BOTH MUSIC AND FILM On May 21, UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance (CAP UCLA) hosted Piano Spheres and the piano duo HOCKET as they premiered three new scores for a trio of unannounced French silent films at The Nimoy. Sarah Gibson, one half of…
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Highly Recommended Concerts: CELEBRITY SERIES OF BOSTON (2024/25 Season at Various Locations)
Celebrity Series of Boston announces its 2024/25 season today, marking 86 years of bringing world-class touring and local performing artists to Boston. This season’s offerings bring audiences new venues to explore, artist debuts, beloved returning artists, two special festivals celebrating jazz and contemporary music, concerts and events in Boston neighborhoods, and more. Check out the Digital Brochure!…
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Highly Recommended Album: PETE TOWNSHEND LIVE IN CONCERT 1985-2001 (Expanded 14-CD Box Set and Digital)
GO TO TOWNSHEND PETE TOWNSHEND LIVE IN CONCERT 1985-2001, an expanded 14-CD Box Set and digital set featuring seven long-out-of-print live albums by Pete Townshend, will be released on July 26, 2024, and are available for pre-order here. Newly remastered by Jon Astley, the set gathers together for the first time all of the live…
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Highly Recommended Music: WORLD ORCHESTRA WEEK [WOW!] (Carnegie Hall)
HOT CLASSICAL AUGUST NIGHTS AT CARNEGIE HALL WITH YOUNG MUSICIANS FROM AROUND THE WORLD Sick of hearing nothing but bad news about our world? Wanna be inspired? Well, there is good news out there in the world, and it’s coming to Carnegie Hall when hundreds of teen instrumentalists from around the globe come together in…
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Music Review: DUDAMEL CONDUCTS HARRY POTTER (John Williams Spotlight, LA Phil)
COMPARED TO FANTASIA, NOT SO FANTASTIQUE Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic concluded its orchestral season and its Spotlight on John Williams series on May 19 with a family-oriented program: Dudamel Conducts Harry Potter. Williams’ music is always an exciting proposition, but the program, the first half of which was dominated by another composer,…
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Cabaret Review: CAROLYN MONTGOMERY: GIRLSINGER, A CELEBRATION OF ROSEMARY CLOONEY (54 Below)
THE BLOOM IS ON THE ROSEMARY Midway into her cabaret show, girlSINGER, A Celebration of Rosemary Clooney, Carolyn Montgomery explains the meaning of the show’s name. When Clooney dropped out of high school to begin her career touring with the big bands, such women were called “girl singers,” no matter what their age. Back in…
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Opera Review: AN AMERICAN SOLDIER (PAC/NYC)
THE STORY’S THE THING IN UPDATED VERSION OF THE OPERA AN AMERICAN SOLDIER This is a heartbreaking story impossible to forget. Although suicide is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. military (unintentional injuries being the first) some people still consider bullying completely normal, a rite of passage that will make the victims…
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Opera Review: TURANDOT (Los Angeles Opera)
A NIGHT OF MAJESTY Giacomo Puccini‘s magnum opus Turandot was posthumously completed by his compatriot Franco Alfano. This opera, which premiered at La Scala in 1926 under the baton of Arturo Toscanini, signifies the swan song of the Italian operatic movement, a tradition tracing its roots back to the early baroque compositions of Peri and Monteverdi….
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Extras: DIY MUSIC MARKETING: BUDGET-FRIENDLY TACTICS FOR ASPIRING MUSICIANS
For aspiring musicians, developing a narrative that resonates with your audience isn’t just about sharing music; it’s about telling your journey, your struggles, and triumphs. This genuine approach fosters a deeper connection, transforming listeners into lifelong fans. Sharing behind-the-scenes moments, personal stories, and inspirations not only captivates but also humanizes your art, making each song…
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Extras | Music: MASTERING PIANO TECHNIQUE: ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE PLAYING
Learning to play the piano well involves more than just hitting the right notes it’s about how you play them. Good piano technique is crucial because it helps you play more easily and makes your music sound better. This includes everything from how you sit at the piano to how you move your fingers across…
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Opera Review: ELĪNA GARANČA (Recital Tour at BroadStage)
On the auspicious evening of Friday, May 10, 2024, the audience at BroadStage in Santa Monica was graced with a recital of exceptional caliber, featuring the illustrious mezzo-soprano ElÄ«na GaranÄa, whose performance was augmented by the symphonic grandeur of a full orchestra. ElÄ«na GaranÄa, whose reputation as a preeminent mezzo-soprano in the classical music sphere is…
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Cabaret Review: VINCE GIORDANO AND THE NIGHTHAWKS (Birdland Jazz Theatre)
GIGGLE JUICE If you love big-band jazz and swing music played by masters, or if you are a tourist and you wish to truly feel the beat of New York’s roots, you must go to Birdland Jazz Club‘s downstairs theater and catch Vince Giordano’s concert, currently playing Mondays at 5:30 and 8:30pm. Named after saxophonist Charlie “Yardbird”…
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Opera Review: Madama Butterfly (Metropolitan Opera)
GRIGORIAN ENCHANTS Lithuanian soprano Asmik Grigorian, a soprano whose international career began with a startling Cio-Cio-San in Stockholm, makes her Metropolitan Opera debut in the same role in Madama Butterfly for performances through May 11, 2024 (she began on April 26). She sang the role a few years ago in Anthony Minghella’s ravishingly beautiful interpretation…
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Music Review: VíKINGUR ÒLAFSSON: THE GOLDBERG VARIATIONS (Colburn Recital at Disney Hall)
FINDING GOLD IN GOLDBERG VI once said in a review of pianist Víkingur í“lafsson that if you want to see a modern-day Glenn Gould-like master at the keys, here’s your chance. Well, the test really came the other night when í“lafsson returned to Disney Hall for his rendition of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, which many claim…
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Jazz Concert Review: DUETS: DIANNE REEVES, CHUCHO VALDÉS, JOE LOVANO (International Tour at Berklee)
TWO MEN AND A LADY: JAZZ ROYALTY TIMES THREE Celebrity Series of Boston’s 2023–2024 season is drawing to a close and among the final performances was the excellent Duets, featuring Dianne Reeves (vocals), Chucho Valdés (piano), and Joe Lovano (tenor saxophone). The evening began with Valdés alone with his grand piano on the stage of…
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Opera Review: CARMEN (Metropolitan Opera House)
MOVING TO AMERICA’S HEARTLAND, CARRIE CARCKNELL FINDS THE HEART OF CARMEN Carmen is one of the most popular operas worldwide and has been part of the Metropolitan Opera’s repertoire since its first season in 1884. 102 years later, I first experienced the Met Opera as a grad student when I attended the opening night of…
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Concert Review: ANNA LAPWOOD (Organ Recital at Disney Hall)
LAPPING UP LAPWOOD British organist Anna Lapwood brought gold sparkles to her LA Phil debut at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the final stop of her 2024 US tour (her international tour continues). She could hardly contain her excitement, calling the hall’s organ “so much more than I ever hoped it could be!” Lapwood, the 28-year-old…
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Jazz Concert Review: HERBIE HANCOCK (Disney Hall)
STILL CRAZY AMAZING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS Piano/keyboard legend Herbie Hancock, whose trailblazing role introducing synthesizers and new audio technologies to jazz and funk make him one of the most influential musicians in jazz history, made it to Walt Disney Concert Hall on April 20 2024. A 14-time GRAMMY Award-winner, Hancock has been in the creative…
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Highly Recommended Album: DEEP SEA VENTS (BrhyM [Bruce Hornsby and yMusic] via Zappo Productions/Thirty Tigers
BrhyM, a portmanteau of Bruce Hornsby and the experimental chamber ensemble yMusic, have released their debut album, Deep Sea Vents. released March, 2024. Distinctive, harmonic, inventive, playful, and wholly accessible with astounding orchestrations and fun vocals, the album contains 10 songs about water and the ways we live with, in, or against it, Deep Sea…
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