Racette’s Salome Puts Lurid Seal On Opera San Antonio
By Diane Windeler
SAN ANTONIO - In her first staged portrayal of Strauss' young femme fatale, Patricia Racette delivered ringing high notes and lower phrases of mahogany hue, weaving a tapestry of increasing madness that was downright chilling.
MTT, Accelerating At 70, Recharges ‘Missa Solemnis’
By Richard S. Ginell
LOS ANGELES - For his first act since reaching his eighth decade, Michael Tilson Thomas unveiled with the LA Phil his reimagined, tradition-defying, multimedia setting for one of the most formidable blocks of the choral literature.
Von Otter, Hewitt Double Star Power On Recital Tour
By Kyle MacMillan
When Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt and Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter met and performed together in 2012 at the Trasimeno Music Festival in Umbria, the idea was born for their North American concerts underway.
Met ‘Merry Widow’: Brassy Broadway Ruffles Old World
By Judith Malafronte
NEW YORK - The New Year’s Eve audience was primed for froth and fun as director Susan Stroman sprinkled razzle-dazzle over the Belle Epoque style of Léhar’s operetta, but the production was marred by artistic compromise.
Classical Cabaret: SFSO, MTT Turn Hip In SoundBox
By Richard S. Ginell
SAN FRANCISCO - Around the corner from the main entrance of Davies Symphony Hall, a huge rehearsal room has been converted into a cabaret-cum-black-box space like the lounge of an upscale urban hotel. It's called SoundBox.
Seattle Symphony Premieres Bates Cello Concerto
By Philippa Kiraly
SEATTLE - Cellist Joshua Roman and conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla ushered in a new concerto by Mason Bates that combines classical lyricism with blues, jazz elements, and techno rhythms from the club scene.
One Tenor’s Spirit Haunts Operatic ‘Christmas Carol’
William Albright
HOUSTON — Britain's Iain Bell is the latest in a long line of composers who have created operas based on Dickens' beloved tale. Plucky tenor Jay Hunter Morris plays all of the roles in the world premiere at Houston Grand Opera.
‘Die Meistersinger’: Evening-Length Glory At The Met
By Judith Malafronte
NEW YORK - James Levine's clear and buoyant reading of Wagner's only comedy led an evening of glorious music-making, firmly anchored by the splendid Met orchestra and chorus, as Otto Schenk's 1993 production began its final run.
For Slatkin At 70, Maestro’s Ongoing Beat Was Destined
By Lawrence B. Johnson
DETROIT - Some bright young musicians know early on that they want to be a conductor. Leonard Slatkin had a more specific vision. He believed himself born to be a music director, "a very different job from just waving your arms."
Thomson Essays Offer Portrait Of Critic With Edge
By Paul Hyde
The spirited chronicle of a golden era when the New York scene was dominated by the likes of Toscanini, Bernstein, Copland, Horowitz, and Heifetz, Thomson: Music Chronicles 1940-1954 is a classical music lover's delight.
As Smoke Clears, Atlanta SO Turns To Joyful Sounds
By James L. Paulk
ATLANTA — The orchestra that Robert Shaw made famous finally got down to musical business with belated opening weeks led by music director Robert Spano. Short notice after a nine-week lockout saw 31 substitutes filling in.
Previn At 85 Sees Festive Debut For Double Concerto
By Mary Ellyn Hutton
CINCINNATI — André Previn basked in a Queen City of the West welcome for the sunny violin-cello showpiece he wrote for Jaime Laredo and Sharon Robinson. They'll take it to five North American stops in 2015, then on to Europe.
Six ‘Brandenburgs’: Baroque Moderne From Chicago SO
By Lawrence B . Johnson
CHICAGO - A radiant traversal of Bach's six “concerts avec plusieurs instruments” by the Chicago Symphony under Nicholas Kraemer showed how far we’ve come in assimilating, or perhaps accommodating, Baroque performance practice.
‘Love Potion’ Makes Intriguing Fare In Synagogue Setting
By Benjamin Pesetsky
BROOKLINE, Mass. - For Swiss composer Frank Martin's rarely performed 1940 chamber opera treatment of the Tristan and Isolt myth, Boston Lyric Opera converted Temple Ohabei Shalom into a theater-in-the-round.
Shostakovich’s Lurid ‘Lady’ Still Drips Life at Met
By Leslie Kandell
NEW YORK — Opera quiz: In Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, what was the tipping point that enraged Stalin? Adultery? Poison? Strangling? Gang rape? Ferocious fortissimos of sulphurous characters over a wild, colorful orchestra?
Machover ‘Cocoon’ Tunes Listener To Vibe Of The Voice
By Adeline Sire
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - You'll feel your vocal vibrations when you sit in MIT MediaLab's Cocoon and experience the intensity of the oRb, an ostrich-egg-like interactive creation of composer Tod Machover and his team.
LA Phil Launches In/Sight Venture: It’s Outta Sight
By Richard S. Ginell
LOS ANGELES — Remember the light shows of the '60s with live rock music that took you to other places - depending upon your intoxication level? The LA Phil is trying out the idea with a new concert series, minus the chemicals.
DiDonato Focuses Recital On Songs Inspired By Venice
By Leslie Kandell
NEW YORK - In one of four events that mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato has designed to display aspects of her musical quest, "Journey through Venice" marked a first for Carnegie Hall: Occasional live streaming of concerts.
Series’ First Play Sees Charlotte SO Thrown For Loss
By Perry Tannenbaum
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Charlotte Symphony's new Thursday concert initiative faced an early challenge from the NFL, whose Carolina Panthers were at home and on TV Oct. 30. But the orchestra is experiencing good health.
