Requiem From A Time Of Plague Has Familiar Ring In World Of Covid
LOS ANGELES – Heinrich Schütz’s 17th-century funeral work received a highly dramatized, and slowly drawn-out, treatment by director Peter Sellars in a performance by the Los Angeles Master Chorale led by Grant Gershon.
Descent Into Madness, With Cello Starring As Character From Gogol
CHICAGO – Lera Auerbach's new cello concerto, Diary of a Madman, received its U.S. premiere by soloist Gautier Capuçon with Manfred Honeck leading the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a co-commissioner of the emotionally charged work.
Through Paired Prisms, 2 Choral Works Reflect On The American Dream
NEW YORK – Bundled together by the Oratorio Society of New York were the world premiere of Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell's A Nation of Others and the first New York performance of Robert Patterson's oratorio Whitman's America.
Reminder Of Brilliance: Berliners Bring Mahler To U.S. Concert Halls
CHICAGO – On a five-city tour stop here, the Berlin Philharmonic led by chief conductor Kirill Petrenko ended its six-year absence with a thrilling Mahler Seventh Symphony that affirmed the orchestra's place among the world's finest.
A ‘Buddha Passion’: Amid Sound And Fury, Tales Of Self-Sacrifice
SEATTLE – Composer Tan Dun conducted his complex six-part work with the Seattle Symphony augmented by amplified vocal soloists, a pipa player and choral forces. A related immersive experience tapped into the work's ancient roots.
An Electrified Concerto Zaps Violin Tradition With Cosmic Fantasy
SEATTLE – Enrico Chapela's Antiphaser, which received its world premiere by violinist Pekka Kuusisto and the Seattle Symphony under Andrew Litton, adds to the Mexican composer's catalog of works inspired by nature and astronomy.
At Perfecting Church, Perfect Flow Between Orchestra, Community
DETROIT – Concert norms went out the window, but energy surged in when the Detroit Symphony Orchestra visited a neighborhood church, embracing its choir, congregation, and kids with a program spanning William Tell and the Supremes.
Plunder, Deceit, Murder. Night Can Be Rough On Cornwall’s Rocky Coast
HOUSTON – Houston Grand Opera gave the U.S. premiere of British composer Ethel Smyth’s 1906 opera The Wreckers, the dark tale of a seaside community that survives by reaping the bounty of ships broken on its shores. Bit of killing required.
Thielemann Ends Long Hiatus From U.S. With Grand Bruckner Eighth
CHICAGO – The German conductor Christian Thielemann, celebrated and busily engaged n Europe, had not conducted in the U.S. for 20 years. He led the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a soaring performance of Bruckner's vast work.
Cliburn Gold Medalist, Still Teenager, Soars Through Romantic Fare
EVANSTON, Ill. – On a worldwide victory lap after winning the Cliburn Competition, 18-year-old South Korean pianist Yunchan Lim was impressive in a program of Liszt, Mendelssohn, and Brahms, but two quiet encores revealed his true depth.
Allan Clayton Probes Storm-Tossed Soul As The Met’s Peter Grimes
NEW YORK – The British tenor imbued Britten's troubled seafarer with wondrous lyricism, his powerful voice controlled throughout the range, his high notes pure. It was a nuanced portrait that dug deep into Grimes' chaotic, poetic soul.
‘Tristan’ Redux: Melding Images From Mythology With Fantasy Comics
SEATTLE – Soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams and tenor Stefan Vinke sang the title roles in Seattle Opera's first production of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde since 2013, framed by director Marcelo Lombardero’s remarkably effective production.
Its Acoustics Reworked, NY Philharmonic’s Hall Makes Resonant Return
NEW YORK – After a troubled history of attempts to improve the sound of David Geffen Hall, the latest redesign was startlingly alive, in big climaxes or pianissimo whispers, during a Philharmonic concert led by Jaap van Zweden.
Flair Meets Substance As A Maestro In Purple Leads Carnegie Opener
NEW YORK – Yannick Nézet-Séguin, snazzy in a purple velvet jacket matching Carnegie Hall's purple and scarlet flowers, led the Philadelphia Orchestra in a meaty, if easily digested, program including a Liszt concerto with Daniil Trifonov.
NY Phil’s Hall Receives A Gorgeous Makeover; Now, About That Sound
NEW YORK – The latest effort to improve Geffen Hall's troubled acoustics includes a stage set closer to the center of the room, seating behind the orchestra, all seats closer to the stage, and rose and blue decor. The sound? Stay, um, tuned.
Some Latin Spice Where Dudamel, LA Phil Once Planned Genuine Fiesta
LOS ANGELES – By concert time of the season opener, the program originally billed as “Dudamel Leads Songs of the Americas” had turned into an evening of Mozart and John Adams, with a dollop of music by Julian Orbon. What happened?
Monteverdi’s Timeless ‘Poppea,’ Captured In Vivid Style Of Its Time
CHICAGO – HIs last opera, L'incoronazione di Poppea, was re-created by accomplished, knowing singers, handsomely costumed, with a tiny band on period instruments: a scintillating production by Haymarket Opera Company:
Met’s ‘Idomeneo’ Revival Displays Lasting Charm Of A Ponnelle Classic
NEW YORK – The production marks a persuasive return to the company's 40-year-old Jean-Pierre Ponnelle design, which together with his work on Mozart's later La clemenza di Tito helped to establish both operas on the international stage.
Invoking Contemplative Spirit Of Rothko Chapel, A Ritual Of Mixed Arts
NEW YORK – Developed from Tyshawn Sorey’s commemorative concert piece for the 50th anniversary of the Houston chapel in 2021, Monochromatic Light (Afterlife) is an arresting blend of chamber ensemble, chorus, and bass.
Rossini’s Rare ‘Otello’ Glitters As Vocal Gold, But The Staging Is Gray
PHILADELPHIA – Tenor Lawrence Brownlee (pictured as Rodrigo) set the high standard for a brilliant cast at Opera Philadelphia, but the opera's froth of notes and a monochromatic production left one to wonder: What's the point?
