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Opera Review: DON GIOVANNI (Boston Baroque)
MY OPERA EXPERIENCE WAS DARKEST BEFORE THIS DON Don Giovanni seduced me — in a manner of speaking — when I attended last night’s opening of Mozart’s Don Giovanni by Boston Baroque. I’ve covered theater for quite some time, but this was the first opera I’ve seen live. And I’ve got news for anyone timid…
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Highly Recommended Opera Recital: ELĪNA GARANÄŒA (Tour at Santa Monica’s BroadStage)
ONE-NIGHT ONLY: ELĪNA GARANÄŒA RECITAL Mezzo-soprano ElÄ«na GaranÄa will be returning to Santa Monica’s BroadStage for a performance as part of their Celebrity Opera Recital series bringing noted opera talents to the BroadStage, offering local audiences an opportunity to experience high-caliber operatic performances.. The event will take place on Friday, May 10, 2024, at 7:30…
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Opera Review: FIRE SHUT UP IN MY BONES (The Met Opera)
AN OPERA TO FEEL IN YOUR BONES Seven-time Grammy Award–winning trumpeter, pianist, and composer Terence Blanchard has created more than 40 film scores (and diverse works in different music genres) but composing operas is definitely one of the brightest jewels in his crown. Before I get into the ‘what’ and ‘who-is-who’, I need to say that Fire…
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Music Review: ELGAR AND VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (LA Phil; Simone Young, conductor; Gautier Capuçon, cellist)
STUDY WAR NO MORE Last night’s program at Disney Hall began with a subdued but clear strike on the chime. It came in without warning. The atmosphere is austere and solemn, and under the clear and watchful eyes of Maestro Simone Young, the LA Phil slowly unfolds the lush colors of Arvo Pårt‘s Cantus in…
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Music Review: MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS LEADS TCHAIKOVSKY (LA Phil)
The third and final performance of this program by the LA Phil with guest conductor Michael Tilson Thomas took place March 30 at Disney Hall. The orchestra was in standard setup as MTT entered the stage to very warm applause. He cheerily addressed his audience and his musicians as he set to work. First on…
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Extras: CARING FOR YOUR PIANO: MAINTENANCE TIPS FOR LONGEVITY
If you’re among the savvy buyers of pianos, you recognize that your piano isn’t merely a beautiful piece of furniture, but a complex and intricately crafted instrument. To safeguard this significant investment and maintain the joy of playing a piano in top condition, regular maintenance is of utmost importance. Proper care not only ensures your…
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Music Review: CAMERATA PACIFICA (March 2024 Program)
STRING THEORY Arnold Schoenberg‘s Verklärte Nacht (“Transfigured Night”), Op. 4, is a string sextet in one movement composed in 1899. Love him or hate him (some of his challenging later music is impenetrably inaccessible given his twelve-tone technique), there are times when Schoenberg’s system of composition can reach through your soul, creating an otherworldly sound….
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Music Concert Review: MAGIC HOUR IN LOS ANGELES: AMERICA’S CULTURAL RENAISSANCE OF 1974 (MUSE/IQUE at the Mark Taper Forum)
1974: THE YEAR THAT WAS Still haven’t heard of MUSE/IQUE, Los Angeles? I first discovered this prestigious outfit in 2012 on stage at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in a program called Ebony Meets Ivory, a celebration of the piano. Since then, I have thrilled at dozens of MUSE/IQUE events, and they just get more and…
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Music Review: BERNSTEIN AND WOOTEN (LA Phil; Thomas Wilkins, conductor; Victor Wooten, bass)
WOO-HOO, WOOTEN The idea behind this past weekend’s program at the Los Angeles Philharmonic was the influence of jazz on the orchestra, featuring three pieces that cover a span of nearly 125 years. For these two performances, the Phil brought in Thomas Wilkins, Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, to conduct. First up was…
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Music Review: PHILIP GLASS: THE PIANO ETUDES (Timo Andres, Maki Namekawa, Anton Batagov, Lara Downes, Jenny Lin at Disney Hall)
FOR SOME, THIS GLASS IS HALF-EMPTY. MINE OVERFLOWETH. Although Philip Glass‘s works can be described as minimalist, he prefers to describe himself as a composer of “music with repetitive structures.” He also noted, “If I’m to be remembered for anything, it will probably be for the piano music, because people can play it.” He conceived…
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Concert Series Review: STAVE SESSIONS (Celebrity Series of Boston at the Crystal Ballroom in Somerville)
LIGHTS! SOUND! MUSIC! Now in its eighth season, Celebrity Series of Boston offered four nights of innovative music in Somerville’s Crystal Ballroom with the Stave Sessions. Each evening offered a single intermission-free ninety minute performance. The first three evenings included virtuoso real-time performances of singing, flute, guitar, and keyboards mixed with impressive light shows, electronic…
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Cabaret Review: MAX RAABE & PALAST ORCHESTER (“Dream a Little Dream” Tour at Symphony Hall, Boston & Carnegie Hall NY)
SMOOTH AS SILK Max Raabe & Palast Orchester brought its “Dream a Little Dream” tour to Boston last night, transporting the Symphony Hall audience to an era of Big Band swing and “hot jazz” in the Berlin and beyond of the 1920s and 1930s. (The show hits Carnegie Hall on March 21.) Bandleader Raabe, who…
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Music Review: LEGACY: DEBUSSY + HAMELIN (Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra at The Wallis in Beverly Hills)
WHAT’S ON THE MENU? FRANCK AND HAMELIN Finally, I got to see pianist Marc-André Hamelin in person, thanks to the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, which presented him in two of four salon pieces that made up Legacy: Debussy + Hamelin — a program which which played last Saturday at The Wallis, a great venue for LACO’s…
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Highly Recommended Jazz Music: BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB AND THEATER (March, 2024)
WHERE THE RHYTHM SWOOPS AND SWIRLS, THIS REALLY IS THE JAZZ CORNER OF THE WORLD From bands like The Hot Sardines, Hot Club of Cowtown and Maria Schneider Orchestra to cabaret stalwarts such as Karen Mason and Tedd Firth, there is nothing but excitement this month, March 2024, at Birdland Jazz Club — named after…
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Music Review: Mí„LKKI CONDUCTS BRAHMS (Susanna Målkki, conductor | Daniil Trifonov, piano | LA Phil at Disney Hall)
A NIGHT OF ELEGANCE AND VIRTUOSITY The February 23, 2024 Los Angeles Philharmonic concert at the Walt Disney Hall was an opportunity to see two renowned classical musicians, conductor Susana Målkki and pianist Daniil Trifonov. Witnessing Målkki’s conducting is a captivating experience. Her technique is characterized by swift arm movements that allow her to maintain…
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Extras | Music: THE ELECTRIC GUITAR AS A SOLO INSTRUMENT: CRAFTING COMPLETE ARRANGEMENTS
Revealing the Symphony of a Solo Electric Guitar In a modern world where bands and orchestras rule, the electric guitar steps in to fill a brand-new open space: solo performances. With the help of this instrument, considered versatile in the music industry, musicians can freely produce musical and descriptive sounds. We will look into several…
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Opera Reviews: THE DWARF & HIGHWAY 1, USA (LA Opera)
AN OPERATIC RARITY DOUBLE-BILL ONE FASCINATING FAILURE AND ONE MASTERPIECE LA opera presented a unique double bill of relative rarities, Alexander Zemlinski’s Der Zwerg and William Grant Still’s Highway 1, USA. Zwerg’s Der Zwerg (The Dwarf) was suppressed by the Nazis due to his Judaism, and Still’s opera Highway 1, USA is little known due…
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Opera Review: ISOLA (Long Beach Opera)
MUST ALL NEW OPERAS HAVE TO BE PSEUDO-INTELLECTUAL AND JOYLESS? I was in no shape to see Isola, by composer Alyssa Weinberg and poet J. Mae Barizo, presented by Long Beach Opera in its world-premiere run. My apartment had been burglarized the night before and I just wanted to stay home and lick my wounds….
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Highly Recommended Album: GODSPELL EL MUSICAL (Original Spanish Cast Recording; Produced by Antonio Banderas)
The Concord Theatricals Recordings cast album of the acclaimed Spanish production of Godspell is now available. This is the first Spanish language recording of John-Michael Tebelak and Stephen Schwartz’s iconic musical. Now available for streaming or download, CDs are available for purchase in Spain. Check out the booklet with Spanish lyrics HERE. And it’s a blast. I have been…
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Album Review: THE TONY BENNETT / BILL EVANS ALBUM (Remastered; Craft Recordings Original Jazz Classics)
This collection, a triumph in the careers of both Tony Bennett and Bill Evans, was made at a time when these masters each seemed in relative decline. Bennett, considered of limited audience appeal in the heady adolescence of rock, was without a major-label contract while Evans, then well into his second decade of leading a…
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