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Tom Purdom is a science fiction writer and general freelance writer who has been writing about music ever since the opening of the 1988-89 season, when he became the classical music critic for a unique center city weekly called the Welcomat. His musings on the Philadelphia culture scene have been circulated by several local publications and two online services.
Purdom has written non-fiction about subjects as varied as arms control and interior decorating for magazines such as Kiwanis and American Education and institutional clients such as the University of Pennsylvania and the United States Air Force.
His science fiction credits include five novels, a 50-year string of highly praised shorter works, and translations into German, Chinese, Burmese, Russian, Czech, and other widely spoken tongues. His most recent sci-fi story, a novella entitled “Bank Run” was originally published in Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine and is currently available in Science Fiction, the Best of the Year, 2006 Edition, edited by Rich Horton.
His novelette Fossil Games, which was a finalist for the Hugo award presented by the annual World Science Fiction Convention, can be found in another recent anthology, Gordon Dozois’s Supermen: Tales of the Post Human Future.
More information, and samples of Purdom’s work, can be found on his website. An account of his metamorphosis into a music critic can be perused in Through Time and Space with Giacomo Casanova, the fourth chapter of the literary memoir he has been posting on his website.
More articles by Tom Purdom, newest first
| ‘Late Renoir’ at the Art Museum (4th review) |
August 28 2010 |
Renoir grasped the poetry inherent in scenes of everyday life. In that case, what would he paint if he were alive today? Where is the artist who can bridge the chasm between technology and art?
“Late Renoir”: Through September 6, 2010 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th St. and Benj. Franklin Pkwy. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| The case for professional soccer |
August 16 2010 |
With its low-scoring games and British roots, soccer may never be America’s game. But for connoisseurs, it’s the ideal niche sport in an age of niche markets.
Major League Soccer: Philadelphia Union vs. Real Salt Lake. August 11, 2010 at PPL Park, Chester, Pa. (610) 497-1657 or www.philadelphiaunion.com.
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| Electronic books vs. ink on paper |
July 31 2010 |
Can a plastic rectangle produce the same habit-forming bliss as several hundred pages bound between two hard covers? My first experiment with e-books suggests that what really matters is The Word, not how it’s conveyed.
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| Orchestra's Chamber series: Maurice Wright |
July 20 2010 |
The once-underappreciated composer Maurice Wright rounds out a winning season with a romp from his past.
Philadelphia Orchestra Chamber Music series: Wright, Movement in Time, for two percussionists and tape. Don S. Liuzzi and Anthony Orlando, percussion. June 20, 2010 at the Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center, Broad and Spruce Sts. (215) 893-1955 or www.philorch.org.
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| Stieg Larsson’s not-so-radical thrillers (2nd comment) |
July 03 2010 |
The novelist Stieg Larsson may have been a radical journalist, but his view of Swedish society doesn’t look that radical to a reader familiar with the thriller genre.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. By Stieg Larsson. Vintage, 2008. 608 pages; $14.95. www.amazon.com.
The Girl Who Played with Fire. By Stieg Larsson. Vintage, 2009. 630 pages; $15.95. www.amazon.com.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. By Stieg Larsson. Alfred Knopf, 2010. 576 pages; $27.95. www.amazon.com.
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| Philadelphia Orchestra’s lightweight Mann season |
June 26 2010 |
In the past, the Philadelphia Orchestra’s opening night at the Mann initiated a group of programs that resembled the concerts it presents during its regular subscription season. Those days seem to be over.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Mahler, Third Symphony. Mihoko Fujimura, mezzo-soprano; Charles Dutoit, conductor. June 10, 2010 at Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center, Broad and Spruce Sts. (215) 893-1955 or www.philorch.org.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Tchaikovsky, Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor (Haochen Zang, piano). Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 in D minor (Heidi Melton, soprano; Katherine Lerner, mezzo-soprano; Kevin Ray, tenor; Jonathan Beyer, baritone; The Philadelphia Singers Chorale). Rossen Milanov, conductor. June 15, 2009 at the Mann Center, Fairmount Park. (215) 878-0400 or www.manncenter.org.
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| Dolce Suono: Lessons from two old masters |
June 08 2010 |
Dolce Suono’s final concert of the season opened with a masterpiece, closed with a surprise and sparked some reflections on aesthetic theories that over-emphasize just one aspect of an art.
Dolce Suono: Debussy, Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp; Takemitsu, And Then I Knew ‘Twas Wind; Fang, Larkspur for Flute, Viola, and Harp; Rochberg, Slow Fires of Autumn (Ukiyo-e II); Ravel. Sonatine en Trio (arr. Carlos Salzedo). Mimi Stillman, flute; Burchard Tang, viola; Coline-Marie Orliac, harp. May 19, 2010 at First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St. (267) 252-1803 or www.dolcesuono.com.
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| Orchestra 2001 plays Barber and Maggio |
May 25 2010 |
Laura Heimes and Orchestra 2001 gave Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 a reading that was more dramatic than the other performances I’ve heard. Then Robert Maggio’s Summer: 2 A.M. provided an intriguing counterpart from a parent’s perspective.
Orchestra 2001: Rudin, Concerto for Piano and Small Orchestra (Marcantonio Barone, piano); Barber, Knoxville: Summer of 1915 (Laura Heimes, soprano); Maggio, Summer: 2 A.M. (Laura Heimes, soprano); Moravec, Violin Concerto (Maria Bachmann, violin). James Freeman, conductor. May 23, 2010 at Lang Concert Hall, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pa. (267) 687-6243 or www.orchestra2001.org.
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| Philadelphia Classical Symphony at Holy Trinity |
May 25 2010 |
Mark O’Connor’s Strings and Threads is an enjoyable collection of Irish folk pieces. But the complexity of Maurice Wright’s Wissahickon Scenes makes it a far more powerful and musically interesting work.
Philadelphia Classical Symphony: O’Connor, Appalachia Waltz and Strings and Threads; Wright, Wissahickon Scenes; Peter, String Quintet in D Major, Finale, arranged by Karl Middleman; Diamond, Rounds for String Orchestra. Hirono Oka, Jason DePue, violin; Janet Witman, harp; Karl Middleman, conductor. May 21, 2010 at Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Square. (215) 228-2224 or www.classicalsymphony.org.
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| Historical venues for Chamber Orchestra and Vox Ama Deus |
May 18 2010 |
Temple’s renovated Lew Klein Hall and Old City’s Old St. Joseph’s Church are great places to hear Vivaldi and Rossini, underscored by an added touch of Philadelphia history.
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia: Rossini, Overture to The Italian Girl in Algiers; Brossé, I Loved You (Kirsten MacKinnon, soprano); Beethoven, Symphony No. 8 in F Major. Dirk Brossé, conductor. May 10, 2010 at Lew Klein Hall, Baptist Temple at Temple University, Broad and Berks St. (215) 545-5451 or www.chamberorchestra.org.
Vox Amadeus: Vivaldi, Concerto for Violin in C Minor; Concerto for Lute in D Major; Concerto for Viola and Lute in D Minor; Concerto for Cello in C Minor; Concerto for Oboe in D Minor; Concerto for Two Violins in C Minor; Sinfonia No. 1. Thomas DiSarlo and Thomas Jackson, violins; Daniel Boring, lute; Patricio Diaz viola; Anthony Pirollo, cello; Sarah Davol, oboe; Camera Ama Deus Baroque Instrument Orchestra, Valentin Radu, conductor. May 14, 2010 at Old St. Joseph’s Church, 321 Willings Alley. (610) 688-2800 or www.VoxAmaDeus.org.
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| From Schubert to John Adams, in three days |
May 11 2010 |
Two concerts from the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society hop from the tried and true to the new and noisy. I enjoyed both.
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society: Musicians from Marlboro III. Boccherini, String Quintet in F Major; Stravinsky, Three Pieces for String Quartet; Schubert, String Quintet in C Major. David Bowlin, violin; Hiroko Yajima, violin; Rebecca Albers, viola; Amir Eldan, cello; Marcy Rosen, cello. May 5, 2010 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center, Broad and Spruce St. (215) 569-8080 or pcmsconcerts.org.
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society: Ensemble ACJW. Adams, Son of Chamber Symphony; Stravinsky, Concerto for Piano and Winds; Andriessen, De Staat. John Adams, conductor. May 9, 2010 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center, Broad and Spruce St. (215) 569-8080 or pcmsconcerts.org.
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| Philadelphia Singers and Bach Festival |
May 04 2010 |
The Philadelphia Singers apply their talents to a Rachmaninoff work that combines creative genius with one of the world’s most appealing liturgical traditions.
Philadelphia Singers: Rachmaninoff, Vespers (All Night Vigil). Philadelphia Singers, David Hayes conductor. May 1, 2010 at Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Square. (215) 751-9494 or www.philadelphiasingers.org.
Bach Festival of Philadelphia: Bach, Easter and Ascension Oratorios. Clara Rottsolk, soprano; Jenifer L. Smith, mezzo-soprano; Steven Bradshaw, tenor; Sumner Thompson, baritone. Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia, Matthew Glandorf, conductor. May 2, 2010 at St. Paul’s Church, 22 E. Chestnut Hill Ave., Chestnut Hill. (215) 240-6417 or www.choralarts.com.
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| Roberto Diaz, master of the viola |
May 04 2010 |
At his recent recital, the violist Diaz made no effort to woo the audience with flashy movements. His demeanor provided appropriate visual backup nevertheless.
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society: Paganini, Quartet No. 15 in A Minor for Guitar, Violin, Viola, and Cello; Hindemith, Sonata for Solo Viola; Shostakovich, Viola Sonata. Roberto Diaz, viola; Allen Krantz, guitar; Rebecca Anderson, violin; Summer Hu, cello; Meng-Chieh Liu, piano. April 30, 2010 at American Philosophical Society, 427 Chestnut St. (215) 569-8080 or pcmsconcerts.org.
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| Violinists Matsuyama and Kim |
May 01 2010 |
Saeka Matsuyama and Soovin Kim: two violinists with impressive range.
Astral Artists: Bruch, Scottish Fantasy in E-flat Major. Saeka Matsuyama, violin; Symphony in C, Rossen Milanov, conductor. April 7, 2010 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center, Broad and Spruce Sts. (215) 735-6999 or www.astralartists.org.
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia: Brahms, Violin Concerto in D Major. Soovin Kim, violin; Ignat Solzhenitsyn, conductor. March 28, 2010 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center, Broad and Spruce Sts. (215) 545-5451 or www.chamberorchestra.org.
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society: Weil, Concerto for Violin and Winds. Curtis Chamber Orchestra, Soovin Kim, violin; Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor. April 21, 2010 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center Broad and Spruce Sts. (215) 569-8080 or pcmsconcerts.org.
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| Piffaro’s ‘Music From 17th-Century Spain’ |
April 20 2010 |
Piffaro mounts a song and dance variety show and places 17th Century Spanish music in a well-researched context.
Piffaro, the Renaissance Band: Music from 17th-Century Spain by Briceno, de Murcia, Guerrero, Velasco et al. Ellen Hargis, soprano; Drew Minter, countertenor; Julie Andrijeski, violin; Pat O’Brien, Daniel Swenberg, Charles Weaver, lute and guitar. Joan Kimball, Robert Wiemken, co-directors. April 16, 2010 at St. Mark’s Church, 1625 Locust St. (215) 235-8469 or www.piffaro.org.
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| New music: Three concerts |
April 13 2010 |
The new music played at Philadelphia concerts may or may not be the music of the future. But it can be pretty satisfying in the present, as its growing audiences attest.
Astral Artists: Kernis, Colored Field (Susan Babini, cello), Symphony in C (Rossen Milanov, conductor). April 7 2010 at Perelman Theater. (215) 735-6999 or www.astralartists.org.
Network for New Music: Caltabiano, Lines from Poetry (Hirono Oka, violin); Jaffe, Light Dances; Hersch, A Forest of Attics. Network for New Music Ensemble, Jan Krzywicki, conductor. April 9 2010 at Ethical Society, 1906 S. Rittenhouse Square. (215) 848-7647 or www.networkfornewmusic.org.
Boyle-Gill: Gill, Helian; Schumann, Spanische Liebeslieder; Boyle, Le Passage de Rèves. Maren Montalbano, mezzo-soprano; Jeremy Gill, Benjamin C.S. Boyle, pianos. March 20, 2010 at St. Mark’s Church, 1625 Locust St. www.jeremytgill.com or www.benjamincsboyle.com.
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| Tempesta di Mare’s ‘Lamentations of Jeremiah’ |
March 30 2010 |
In the hands of Tempesta di Mare, an 18th-Century Holy Week lament becomes a warm and sensual Saturday night serenade.
Tempesta di Mare: Zelenka, The Lamentations of Jeremiah; Six Cantatas for Holy Week. Lori Gratis, alto; Aaron Sheehan, tenor; David Newman, bass. Tempest di Mare Baroque Orchestra, Gwyn Roberts and Richard Stone, artistic directors. March 27, 2010 at Old St. Joseph’s Church, 321 Willings Alley. (215) 755-8776 or www.tempestadimare.org.
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| Jurowski conducts the Orchestra (3rd review) |
March 23 2010 |
Vladimir Jurowski’s intensity made three of the most popular works in the repertoire sound fresh and immediate. His seating arrangements may seem like a minor matter, but they tell us something important about his attitude toward his craft.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Beethoven, Third Symphony (“Eroica”); Schumann, Piano Concerto; Brahms, Tragic Overture. Vladimir Jurowski, conductor; Benedetto Lupo, piano. March 18-20, 2010 at Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center, Broad and Spruce Sts. Free pre-concert conversation 7 p.m. (215) 893-1999 or www.philorch.org.
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| Chamber Ensemble’s instrument mix |
March 23 2010 |
The Philadelphia Chamber Ensemble specializes in pieces that employ an unusual mix of instruments, but its musicians outdid themselves at their latest concert, with music that ranges from Mozart to ballets for dancing mummies and tangoing kitchenware.
Philadelphia Chamber Ensemble: Mozart, Trio in E-flat major; Pierne, Voyage au “Pays du Tendre”; Villa-Lobos, Jet Whistle; Hindemith, Three Pieces; Martinu, La Revue de Cuisine. David Cramer, flute; Donald Montanaro, clarinet; Mark Gigliotti, bassoon; David Bilger, trumpet; Noah Geller, violin; Burchard Tang, viola; John Koen, cello; Margarita Csonka Montanaro, harp; Kiyoko Takeuti, piano. March 21, 2010 at Old Pine Church, 412 Pine St., Philadelphia. (215) 542-5890 or www.pce.libertynet.org.
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| Solzhenitsyn in a chamber trio |
March 16 2010 |
Playing piano in a trio (instead of conducting an orchestra), Ignat Solzhenitsyn’s big revelation was the sensitivity and control he brings to chamber music.
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society: Beethoven, Horn Sonata in F Major; Schubert, Piano Sonata in C Minor, “Relique”; Brahms, Trio for Violin, Piano and Horn in E-flat Minor. Jennifer Montone, horn; Ida Levin, violin; Ignat Solzhenitsyn, piano. March 12, 2010 at Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S., Columbus Blvd. (Penn’s Landing). (215) 569-8080 or pcmsconcerts.org.
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| Jasmine Choi flute recital |
March 09 2010 |
The impressive young flutist Jasmine Choi explores the border between East and West and invades the empire of the Great Romantics.
Jasmine Choi in Recital: Bach, Sonata in E Minor; Franck/Choi, Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Minor; Yun, Garak; Schoenfield, Four Souvenirs; Taffanel, Fantasie on Themes from Der Freischutz. Jasmine Choi, flute; William Hong-Chun Youn, piano. Presented by Astral Artists on March 7, 2010 at Trinity Center, 22nd and Spruce. (215) 735-6999 or www.astralartists.org.
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| Lyric Fest’s ‘Tchaikovsky: A Biography in Music’ |
March 02 2010 |
Lyric Fest again combines words and music to create a well-designed portrait of Tchaikovsky the man: a hard-working, troubled and not terribly likeable composer.
Lyric Fest: “Tchaikovsky, A Biography in Music.” Jessica Julin, soprano; Tatyana Rashkovsky, mezzo-soprano; Michael Fabiano, tenor; Anton Belov, baritone; Ghenady Meirson, piano. Suzanne DuPlantis, Randi Marrazzo and Laura Ward, music directors. February 28, 2010 at First Presbyterian Church, 21st and Walnut Streets, Philadelphia. (215) 438-1702 or www.lyricfest.org.
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| Dolce Suono honors Barber, again |
February 27 2010 |
Dolce Suono offers a reminder that Samuel Barber isn’t a one-piece composer, along with a performance that proves That Piece is still worth listening to.
Dolce Suono: “Samuel Barber at 100, the Composer and His World.” Barber, Three Songs, Canzone for Flute and Piano, Souvenirs, Song for a New House, String Quartet in B Minor, Dover Beach; Boyle, Sonata-Cantilena for Flute and Piano. Mimi Stillman, flute; Hirono Oka and Igor Szwec violins; Burchard Tang, viola; Yumi Kendall, cello; Charles Abramovic and Charles Wadsworth, piano. February 17, 2010 at First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St. (267) 252-1803 or www.dolcesuono.com.
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| Network for New Music tackles Darwin (2nd review) |
February 23 2010 |
A museum exhibit inspires five successful settings and a major work worthy of a major subject: Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution through natural selection.
Network for New Music: Nelson, Megathere, Multiplexing; Shapiro, The Monogamous Man; Litts, Transmutation; Carpenter, The Monogamous Man; Munro, Megathere, Multiplexing; Wright, Darwiniana. Jeremy Gill, conductor; Randall Scarlata, baritone. February 19 and 21, 2010 at Benjamin Franklin Hall, 427 Chestnut St. (215) 848-7647 or www.networkfornewmusic.org.
“Dialogues With Darwin.” Through October 17, 2010 at American Philosophical Society, 104 S. Fifth St. (215) 440.3442 or www.pachs.net/dialogues-with-darwin.
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| Premieres from Orion Quartet and Dolce Suono |
February 16 2010 |
The Orion Quartet and Dolce Suono present two new works that span the gamut from musical farce to starry nights and gentle funeral songs-- just like Haydn did.
Orion Quartet: Haydn, String Quartet in B-flat Major; Dzubay, String Quartet No. 1 (Astral). David Phillips and Todd Phillips, violins; Steven Tenenbom, viola; Timothy Eddy, cello. Philadelphia Chamber Music Society concert February 12, 2010 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center, Broad and Spruce Sts. (215) 569-8080 or pcmsconcerts.org.
Dolce Suono Trio: Haydn, Piano Trio in G Major; Abramovic, Laus D. Mimi Stillman, flute; Yumi Kendall, cello; Charles Abramovic, piano. Philadelphia Chamber Music Society concert January 31, 2010 at American Philosophical Society, 427 Chestnut St. (215) 569-8080 or pcmsconcerts.org.
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| Bachfest by Vox Ama Deus at the Perelman |
February 09 2010 |
Valentin Radu’s idiosyncratic personal vision shapes a winter Bachfest at “Castle Perelman.”
Vox Ama Deus Bachfest. Bach, Second and Fourth Brandenburg Concertos; Orchestra Suite No. 1 in C; Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D. Camerata Ama Deus Baroque Instrument Orchestra; Valentin Radu, conductor. Elin Frazier, trumpet; Colin St. Martin and Steven Zohn, flutes; Sarah Davol, oboe; Thomas DiSarlo, violin. February 5, 2010 at the Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center, Broad and Spruce Sts.(610) 688.2800 or www.VoxAmaDeus.org.
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| Chamber groups and the Orchestra |
January 26 2010 |
Two of our local chamber music groups present programs that serve as relevant reminders of our city’s debt to the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Philadelphia Chamber Ensemble: Menotti, Cantilena and Scherzo for harp and string quartet; Brahms, Trio in A minor for clarinet, cello and piano; Mendelssohn, Quintet No. 2 in B-flat major for 2 violin, 2 violas and cello. Noah Geller, Yumi Ninomiya Scott, violins; Burchard Tang, Che-Hung Chen, violas; John Koen, cello; Donald Montanaro, clarinet; Margarita Csonka Montanaro, harp; Kiyoko Takeuti, piano. January 24, 2010 at Old Pine Church, Fourth and Pine Sts. (215) 542-4890.
1807 & Friends: Smith, String Quartet No. 2; Barber, String Quartet in B Minor; Dohnanyi, Piano Quintet in C Minor. Nancy Bean, Davyd Booth, violins; Pamela Fay, viola; Lloyd Smith, cello; Marcantonio Barone, piano. January 25, 2010 at Academy of Vocal Arts, 1920 Spruce St. (215) 438-4027 or www.1807friends.org.
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| Dolce Suono’s Barber celebration (1st review) |
January 19 2010 |
Dolce Suono and the Curtis Institute celebrated the 100th birthday of an odd kind of iconoclast—- an individualist who refused to enlist in the avant-garde.
Dolce Suono: “Samuel Barber at 100: The Composer and his World.” Barber, Summer Music; Higdon, Autumn Music ; Rorem, Trio for flute, cello, and piano; Ludwig, Haiku Catharsis ; Barber, Capricorn Concerto. Mimi Stillman, flute; Geoffrey Deemer, oboe and English horn; Samuel Caviezel and Paul R. Demers, clarinets; Michelle Rosen, bassoon; Shelley Showers, horn; Hirono Oka, Mu Na, violins; Burchard Tang, viola; Yumi Kendall, cello; Robert Kesselman, double bass; Gabe Globus-Hoenich, percussion; Charles Abramovic, piano. January 17, 2010 at Field Concert Hall, Curtis Institute of Music. (215) 893-7902 or www.mimistillman.org/dolcesuono/index.html.
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| Chamber Music Society’s all-Schubert program |
January 16 2010 |
For its all-Schubert program, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society had to replace two of its scheduled soloists. No problem, because that’s pretty much the way Schubert himself got started.
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society all-Schubert program: Notturno in E-Flat Major for violin, cello, and piano; Drei Klavierstucke for solo piano; “Trout Quintet.” Soovin Kim, violin; Burchard Tang, viola; Peter Wiley, cello; Harold Robinson, double bass; Cynthia Raim, piano. January 11, 2010 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center, Broad and Spruce Sts. (215) 569-8080 or pcmsconcerts.org.
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| David Owen’s ‘Green Metropolis’ |
January 05 2010 |
A Connecticut suburbanite extols the environmental virtues of dense big cities.
Green Metropolis: Why Living Smaller, Living Closer, and Driving Less are the Keys to Sustainability. By David Owen. Riverhead Books, 2009. 357 pages; $25.95. www.amazon.com.
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| Tempesta di Mare plays Bach |
December 22 2009 |
Tempesta di Mare, in one of its best concerts, surrounded Bach’s Fifth Brandenburg Concerto with four well-chosen pieces by his contemporaries and forerunners.
Tempesta di Mare: Telemann, Concerto No. 2 in D; Pachelbel, Partita a 4 in G; Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 5; Fasch, Concerto No. 5 in D; Graupner, Suite in F. Gwyn Roberts, flute and recorder; Emlyn Ngai, violin; Edmund Chan, violin; Karina Fox, viola; Eva Miller, cello; Andrew Arceci, bass; Richard Stone, lute; Adam Pearl, harpsichord. December 20, 2009, at Old St. Joseph’s Church, 321 Willings Alley (Fourth and Walnut). (215) 755-8776 or www.tempestadimare.org.
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| Roundup: Orchestra's Wagner, Dolce Suono's Tango, Trio Cavatina |
December 15 2009 |
The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Dolce Suono chamber players presented two contemporary additions to the grand tradition of instrumental suites taken from opera and ballet music.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Walker, Violin Concerto; Wagner/de Vlieger, The Ring: An Orchestral Adventure. Gregory Walker, violin; Neeme Järvi, conductor. December 10, 2009 at Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center, Broad and Spruce Sts. (215) 893-1900 or www.philorch.org.
Dolce Suono: Piazzola/Ribchester, Suite from Maria de Buenos Aires. Mimi Stillman, flute; Burchard Tang, viola; Allen Krantz, guitar; Ranaan Mayer, double bass; Tim Ribchester, piano; Gerardo Razumney, Ronni L. Gordon, David Stillman, narrators. December 9, 2009 at First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut Street. (267) 252-1803 or www.mimistillman.org/dolcesuono.
Trio Cavatina: Schumann, Piano Trio in G Minor; Martino, Piano Trio; Brahms, Piano Trio No. 2 in C Major. Harumi Rhodes, violin; Priscilla Lee, cello; Leva Jokubaviciute, piano. December 11, 2009 at Fleisher Art Memorial, 719 Catharine St. Philadelphia Chamber Music Society: (215) 569-8080 or www.pcmsconcerts.org.
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| Chamber concerts: 1807 and Amerita |
December 08 2009 |
In two local chamber concerts, the retired Philadelphia Orchestra cellist Lloyd Smith teamed up with his young successor, Yumi Kendall.
1807 and Friends: Boccherini, Quintet in C Major; Schubert, Quintet in C Major. Nancy Bean and Davyd Booth violins; Pamela Fay, viola; Lloyd Smith and Yumi Kendall (guest), cello. December 7, 2009 at Academy of Vocal Arts, 1920 Spruce St. (215) 438-4027.
Amerita Chamber Players: Vivaldi, Concerto in G minor for Two Violoncelli, Strings and Basso Continuo; Boccherini, Quintet in C Major; other works by Conti, Marcello, Somis, Tartini. Boccherini, musicians as above; Vivaldi, Yumi Kendall, Lloyd Smith, cellos; Nancy Bean, Barbara Govatos, violins; Pamela Fay, viola; Michael Shahan, bass; Davyd Booth, harpsichord December 2, 2009 at Temple Beth Zion, 18th and Spruce Sts. (215) 735-3250 or www.aisphila.org.
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| Orchestra plays Mozart and Bruckner (2nd review) |
December 01 2009 |
Guest conductor Jaap van Zweden proved he could jump from the small-scale grace of Mozart to the somber massiveness of Bruckner.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 19 in F Major; Bruckner, Symphony No. 9 in D Minor. Horacio Gutierrez, piano; Jaap van Zweden, conductor. November 29 2009 at Verizon Hall. (215) 893-1999 or www.philorch.org.
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| Dolce Suono: From Clearfield to Mozart |
November 17 2009 |
Dolce Suono presents a program that ranges from Mozart to Clearfield and glows from start to finish.
Dolce Suono: Roussel, Serenade for Flute, Violin, Viola, Cello and Harp; Clearfield, Rhapsodie for Flute, Harp, and String Trio; Debussy, Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp; Mozart, Quartet in D Minor for Flute, Violin, Viola, and Cello. Mimi Stillman, flute; Coline-Marie Orliac, harp; Paul Arnold, violin; Burchard Tang, viola; Yumi Kendall, cello. November 15, 2009 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. (267) 25201803 or www.dolcesuono.com.
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| Piffaro’s ‘Portuguese Vespers’ |
November 17 2009 |
Piffaro presents a historically accurate Vesper service that combines good-humored Portuguese nationalism with a tribute to the Virgin Mary.
Piffaro, “A Portuguese Advent Vespers”: Hymns, Psalms, Motets, Magnificats, Villancicos and other works by Fernandez, Mendes, Rebelo, Sao Jao, de Brito, Salaverde, Pinheiro, de Cruz, Martins, Coelho, Lesbio, and Melgas. Choral Arts Society members, choir. Matthew Glandorf, conductor. November 14, 2009 at St. Mark’s Church, 1625 Locust St. (215) 235-8469 or www.piffaro.org.
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| Classical Symphony’s 19th-Century musicale |
November 17 2009 |
Karl Middleman presents a 21st- Century version of a 19th-Century event that acquired a history without actually taking place.
Philadelphia Classical Symphony: Hexameron and the Clash of Piano Titans. Schubert, Du Bist di Ruh; Liszt, Sextet for Piano and Strings, Malediction Concerto; Mendelssohn/Middleman, Octet for Strings (string orchestra arrangement); Mendelssohn, Fantasia on a Favorite Irish Melody for piano solo; Liszt, Thalberg, Herz, Czerny, Chopin, Pixis, Hexameron for Piano and Orchestra; Bellini, Suoni la Tromba from I Puritani. Michael Riley, bass-baritone; Kenneth Hamilton, piano; Karl Middleman, conductor. November 13, 2009 at Arch Street Presbyterian Church, 18th and Arch Sts. (215) 228-2224 or www.classicalsymphony.org.
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| Philadelphia Singers: A lesson in economy |
November 10 2009 |
The Philadelphia Singers have largely abandoned the Baroque and classic choral repertoire to focus on more modern scores. Their first concert this season produced a triumph for the new approach, as well as a four-part lesson in the relationship between music and words.
Philadelphia Singers: Stanford, Beati quorum via; Martin, Mass for Double Chorus: Ginastera, Lamentaciones de Jeremias Propheta; Bach, Jesu, meine Freude. David Hayes, conductor. November 8, 2009 at Holy Trinity Church, Rittenhouse Square. (215) 751-9494 or www.philadelphiasingers.org.
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| Critic’s Notebook: Five concerts |
November 03 2009 |
Eight days, five concerts. If a music critic like me blogged or twittered, here’s what I’d say.
Lyric Fest: Works by Bach, Mozart, Kile Smith, Ned Rorem, Bernstein, etc. al. Randi Marrazzo, Lorraine Hinds, sopranos; Suzanne DuPlantis, Jennifer Hsiung, mezzos; Timothyjavascript:void(0); Bentch, tenor; Steven LaBrie, baritone; Michael Locati, violin and viola; Laura Ward, piano. With Motet Choir of the Pennsylvania Girlchoir, Mark Anderson, conductor. November 1, 2009 at First Presbyterian Church, 21st and Walnut. (215) 438-1702 or www.lyricfest.org.
Curtis Orchestra: Strauss, Don Juan; Ranjbaran, Violin Concerto; Rimsky-Korsakov, Sheherazade. Elissa Lee Koljonen, violin; Joann Falletta, conductor. October 27, 2009 at Verizon Hall. (215) 893-7902 or www.curtis.edu.
“Music from the Houses.” Min-Young Kim, violin and piano; Michal Schmidt, cello and piano; Matthew Bengtson, piano. October 29, 2009 at Harnwell College House Rooftop Lounge, University of Pennsylvania. www.sas.upenn.edu/music/performance/collegehouse/index.html.
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia: Nielsen, Little Suite; Sibelius, Romance in C Major; Wiren, Serenade; Hanson, Pastorale; Grief, Suite From Holberg’s Time. Dirk Brosse, conductor. October 25, 2009 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. (215) 545-5451 or www.chamberorchestra.org.
Philadelphia Chamber Ensemble. Beethoven, Serenade in D Major; Garfield, Brief Interludes; Schmitt, Suite en rocaille; Berwald, Grand Septet in B-flat major. Che-Hung Chen, viola; Angela Cordell, horn; David Cramer, flute; Mark Gigliotti, bassoon; Jennifer Haas, violin; John Koen, cello; Donald Montanaro, clarinet; Margaret Montanaro, harp; Michael Shahan, bass. October 30, 2009 at Old Pine Church, 412 Pine St. (215) 542-4890.
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| Mendelssohn Club: ‘Battle Hymns' |
October 20 2009 |
The Mendelssohn Club offers a second look at David Lang’s new Battle Hymns. Four other Philadelphia music organizations collectively demonstrated the range and variety of Philadelphia’s music season.
Mendelssohn Club: Ives, They are There!; Lang, Battle Hymns; Thompson, Frostiana, Seven Country Songs; Sierra, Offertorium (excerpt) from Missa Latina (Pro Pace); Ives, Serenity, Circus Band. Donald St. Pierre, David Pasbrig, pianos; Daniel Schwartz, military drum and percussion; Alan Harler, conductor. October 17, 2009 at Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Square. (215) 735-9922 or www.mcchorus.org.
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| How newspapers will survive |
October 13 2009 |
Are major local newspapers doomed in the age of electronic publishing? The futurist Tom Purdom recently argued that publishers always manage to make money off new developments. Here he offers five concrete thoughts on how they may do it. And if Tom can think of five, surely Rupert Murdoch can think of 50.
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| Lyric Fest: Brahms and American comedy |
October 10 2009 |
In another gutsy program, Lyric Fest combined Brahms’s appealing waltz songs with a pair of American comedy turns.
Lyric Fest: “Four Hands, Warm Hearts.” Bernstein, Selections from Arias and Barcarolles; Brahms, Liebeslieder Waltzes; Lieberman, Appalachian Liebeslieder; Brahms, Neue Liebeslieder; Greer, Selections from Liebesleid-Lieder. Elizabeth Weigle, Randi Marrazzo, sopranos; Suzanne DuPlantis, mezzo-soprano; Thomas Lloyd, Benjamin Sosland, tenors; Randall Scarlata, baritone. Laura Ward, Harold Evans, piano (four hands). October 4 2009 at First Presbyterian Church, 21st and Walnut. (215) 438-1702 or www.lyricfest.org.
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| Philadelphia Orchestra’s season kickoff |
October 06 2009 |
The Philadelphia Orchestra kicked off its season with the kind of big, spectacular music that requires a major orchestra with an organ at its disposal.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Berlioz, Resurrexit and Te Deum; Saint-Saëns. Third Symphony (“Organ”). John Tessier, tenor; Michael Stairs, organ; Philadelphia Singers Chorale. Charles Dutoit, conductor. September 29, 2009 at Verizon Hall. (215) 893-1900 or www.philorch.org.
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| Chamber Orchestra’s Haydn concert |
September 26 2009 |
The Chamber Orchestra opens its season with a program that provokes ruminations: Who was Hubert Schoemaker? Why do we tend to equate fame with importance? And would you rather be an elephant or an antelope?
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia: Haydn Symphony No. 16 in B-flat Major; Cello Concerto in D Major (Wendy Warner, cello); Symphony No. 49 in F Minor. Ignat Solzhenitsyn, conductor. September 20, 2009 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. (215) 545-5451 or www.chamberorchestra.org.
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| George Crumb turns 80 |
September 21 2009 |
The composer George Crumb, now approaching 80, is a true American individualist who created his own style during the years when American composers mostly seemed to be writing for the approval of their academic promotion committees.
Orchestra 2001: Crumb, selections from American Songbooks. Ann Crumb, Jamie Van Eyck, Barbara Ann Martin, vocal soloists; James Freeman, conductor. September 25, 2009 at Volumes I, II, III: Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. Volumes IV, V, VI: September 27, 2009 at Lang Concert Hall, Swarthmore College.
267-687-6243 or www.orchestra2001.org.
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| Writers and publishers in the electronic age |
September 06 2009 |
In an age when people can read Proust and Zola on a portable handheld electronic device, is commercial publishing doomed? If so, how will writers make a living? Not to worry, says a veteran author. Publishers will find a strategy that works. They always have.
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| Bartusiak’s ‘The Day We Found the Universe’ |
August 25 2009 |
A talented science writer tells the story of one of history’s great intellectual sagas: how a group of semi-rational primates on an obscure planet discovered the true size and scope of the universe.
The Day We Found the Universe. By Marcia Bartusiak. Pantheon Books, 2009. 337 pages; $27.95. www.amazon.com.
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| The Orchestra’s final Mann week |
August 04 2009 |
The Orchestra’s summer series at the Mann may be strapped for cash, but the last three concerts introduced a conductor who deserves an unqualified rave, showcased a rising young soprano, and added another chapter to Lang Lang’s artistic development.
Philadelphia Orchestra Tchaikovsky program: Capriccio Italien, Violin Concerto in D Major, Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, 1812 Overture. Juanjo Mena, conductor; Juliette Kang, violin (July 29, 2009).
Vaughan Williams, Concerto in C Major for Two Pianos and Orchestra; Ravel, Mother Goose Suite for two pianos; Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue for two pianos and orchestra. Herbie Hancock, Lang Lang, pianos, John Axelrod, conductor (July 30, 2009).
Verdi: “Ritorna vincitor” from Aida; “Tu che le vanita,” from Don Carlo. Angela Brown, soprano; Rossen Milanov, conductor (July 28, 2009). At Mann Music Center. (215) 893-1900 or www.philorch.org.
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| Buxtehude Consort’s religious cantatas |
July 14 2009 |
In the last few years Philadelphia’s music season has grown steadily shorter— until this year. Half a dozen music groups extended their seasons into June, and the Buxtehude Consort made its debut in a perfect setting. Good news for tourists and musicians alike.
Buxtehude Consort: Buxtehude: Praeludium in D Minor, five religious cantatas for various combinations. Molly Quinn, soprano; Jennifer L. Smith, mezzo-soprano; John L. Fowler, baritone; Daniel Elyar, Daniela Giulia Pierson, violins; Katie Rietman, violoncello; Joshua Stafford, organ. June 24, 2009 at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 17th and Locust. www.buxtehudeconsort.org.
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| Philadelphia Orchestra with Curtis soloists |
July 07 2009 |
Instead of big-name soloists at the Mann, last week the Philadelphia Orchestra spotlighted students from Curtis Institute. The collaboration must have looked like an attractive way to save money, but the product was by no means inferior.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major; Kyu Yeon Kim, piano. Vivaldi, The Four Seasons; Yu-Chien Tseng, violin; Lio Kuokman, conductor and harpsichord. Mozart, Concerto in E-flat major for two pianos; Lutoslawski, Variations on a Theme by Paganini; Saint-Saëns, Carnival of the Animals; Christina and Michelle Naughton, pianos. Theofanidis, Rainbow Body. Rossen Milanov, conductor (except for Vivaldi). June 29, 30, July 1, 2009 at Mann Music Center, Fairmount Park. (215) 893-1900 or www.philorch.org.
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| Dolce Suono’s ‘New Voices’ |
June 30 2009 |
Dolce Suono and the American Composers Forum present seven world premieres for an unconventional foursome— a good showcase for the variety and sheer likeability of the work that young composers are turning out.
Dolce Suono: New Voices. Dougherty, Karlsplatz; Djupstrom, Sejdefu majka budase; Thomas, Whim; Hallman, Lullaby; Ceurvost, The Exchange; Clark, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock; Smith, Changing Elevations. Mimi Stillman flute; Allen Krantz, guitar; Burchard Tang, viola; Emilio Gravagno, double bass. June 27 2009 at First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St. 267-252-1805 or www.dolcesuono.com.
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| Opera Company’s ‘Rape of Lucretia’ (2nd review) |
June 25 2009 |
The Rape of Lucretia is the only musical creation I know of that places both the Judeo-Christian and the Greco-Roman traditions on the same stage.
The Rape of Lucretia. Opera by Benjamin Britten; directed by William Kerley. Opera Company of Philadelphia production June 5-14, 2009 at the Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. (215) 893-1018 or www.operaphila.org.
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| ‘Battle Hymns’ at Hidden City Philadelphia (1st review) |
June 19 2009 |
The Hidden City Arts Festival presents a remarkable choral and dance response to war that merits comparison with the works of writers like Hemingway and George Orwell.
Battle Hymns. David Lang, composer; Leah Stein choreographer; Heidi Barr, costumer. Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia, Leah Stein Dance Company. Toshi Makihara, percussion; Don St. Pierre, keyboard; Daniel Schwartz, drum; Alan Harler, conductor. June 13 and 20, 2009, at Armory of the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, 22 South 23rd St. (267) 597-3808 or www.hiddencityphila.org.
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| The Crossing's unique niche |
June 13 2009 |
Donald Nally’s choir, The Crossing, occupies a unique niche in the musical ecosystem: Its singers perform new and unfamiliar music for a small chamber choir. It presents novel, beautiful, complex music that requires precise coordination and first-class voices.
The Crossing chamber choir: McCabe, Scenes in America Deserta; Fowler, Potter’s Clay; Moore, I saw him standing; Smith, Where flames a word; Holten, Rain and Rush and Rosebush; Part, I am the true vine; Hill, Voices of Autumn. Donald Nally, conductor. June 5, 2009 at Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Ave. www.crossingchoir.com.
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| 1807 & Friends season finale |
June 12 2009 |
Three of the city’s most active chamber musicians transmit a chronic infection to their audience.
1807 & Friends: Dvorak, Sonatina in G Major; Rachmaninoff, Cello Sonata in G Minor; Beethoven, Piano Trio in B flat Major (“Archduke”). Nancy Bean, violin; Lloyd Smith, cello; Marcantonio Barone, piano. June 1, 2009 at Academy of Vocal Arts, 1920 Chestnut St. astro.temple.edu/~rgreene/1807/index.html.
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| Harp Music Festival’s third edition |
May 30 2009 |
Harpist Saul Davis Zlatkovski mounted the third edition of his welcome addition to the fading days of the Philadelphia music season. Zlatkovski has put some impressive organizational work into this project, but he can use help with the administrative details.
Harp Music Festival of Philadelphia: Works for flute and harp by Debussy, Persichetti, Still et al. Adria Sternstein Foster, flute; Susan Robinson, harp.
Music for harp duo and harp quartet by Bizet, Rameau, de Falla et al. Jude Mollenhauer, Yan Ni, Virginia Flanagan, Alison Simpson, harpists. Phyllis Rubin-Arnold, mezzo-soprano. May 23 & 25, 2009, Church of St. Luke and the Epiphany, 13th and Pine. (215) 563-4848 or www.harpmusicfest.com.
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| Orchestra 2001: Three composers, four soloists |
May 26 2009 |
Orchestra 2001 ended its season with a program guaranteed to please most audiences: four attractive concertos featuring four first-class soloists.
Orchestra 2001: Finko, Moses; Finko, Concerto for Piccolo and Orchestra; Rudin, Concerto for Viola, Strings, Harp, Piano and Percussion; Corigliano, Suite from The Red Violin. Marcantonio Barone, piano; Mimi Stillman, piccolo; Brent Deubner, viola; Elizabeth Pitcairn, violin; James Freeman, conductor. May 23, 2009 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. (267) 687-6243 or www.orchestra2001.org.
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| Four Mother’s Weekend concerts (1st review) |
May 12 2009 |
With masterpieces by Bach, Beethoven and Debussy, and a historical range that covered 1496 to 2009, these four Mother’s Weekend concerts should have satisfied any reasonably cultured mother’s tastes.
Dolce Suono: Casadesus, Quintet for Flute, Violin, Viola, Cello and Harp; Debussy, Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp; Clearfield, Rhapsody for Flute, Harp and String Trio; Jolivet, Chant de Linos for Flute, Violin, Viola, Cello and Harp. Mimi Stillman, flute and director; Coline-Marie Orliac, harp; Paul Arnold, violin; Burchard Tang, viola; Yumi Kendall, cello. May 8, 2009 at First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St. (267) 252-1803 or www.mimistillman.org/dolcesuono/.
Choral Arts Society: Bach, Mass in B Minor. Julianne Baird, Laura Heimes, sopranos; Ian Howell, countertenor; Tony Boutte, tenor; Sumner Thompson, baritone. Matthew Glandorf, conductor. May 9, 2009 at First Baptist Church, 17th and Sansom St. (215) 240-6417 or www.choralarts.com.
Piffaro: “The Harmony of the Spheres.” Created by Grant Herreid. Ellen Hargis, soprano; Grant Herreid, Greg Ingles, Joan Kimball, Christa Patton, Priscilla Smith, Robert Wiemken, Tom Zajac, instrumentalists. May 9, 2009 at Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Rd. (215) 235-8469 or www.piffaro.org.
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia: Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major; Beethoven, Symphony No. 8 in F Major. Ignat Solzhenitsyn, piano and conductor. (215) 545-5451 or www.chamberorchestra.org.
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| Orchestra’s ‘Damnation of Faust’ |
May 02 2009 |
The Damnation of Faust is the kind of work that throws the literary half of my personality into a state of head-shaking bemusement. The musical half, on the other hand, revels in every bar. And this time I had no complaints with Simon Rattle.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Berlioz, The Damnation of Faust. Magdalena Kozena, mezzo-soprano; Gregory Kunde, tenor; Eric Owens and Thomas Quasthoff, bass-baritones; Philadelphia Singers Chorale, chorus; Simon Rattle, conductor. April 29, 2009 at Verizon Hall. (215) 893-1900 or www.philorch.org.
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| The Baroque revival: Three concerts |
April 25 2009 |
For musicians, today’s Baroque revival has created new opportunities and challenges. For those of us who sit in the audience, it has broadened our experience and added new names to the musical firmament that were once long forgotten.
American Society of Ancient Instruments: Music by Scarlatti, Byrd, Telemann et al. Rainer Beckman, recorder; Heather Gardner, soprano; Paul Miller, viola d’amore; Vivian Barton Dozor, director. April 19, 2009 at Old First Reformed Church, Fourth and Race St. (610) 935-4579 or www.baroque-asai.org.
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia: Handel, Concerto Grosso in A Major; Bach, Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor; Bloch, Concerto Grosso No. 1; Telemann, Don Quichote Suite. Scott Yoo, conductor and violin. April 20, 2009 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. (215) 545-5451 or www.chamberorchestra.org.
Dolce Suono: Trio sonatas by Corelli, Purcell, Couperin, Handel, C.P.E. Bach, Vivaldi. Hyun Ju Lee, violin; Mimi Stillman, flute; Yumi Kendall, cello; Charles Abramovic, harpsichord. April 22, 2009 at First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St. (267) 252-1805 or www.dolcesuono.com.
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| Masur conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra |
April 21 2009 |
By opening with a symphony, the popular guest conductor Kurt Masur challenged the established order of things at the Philadelphia Orchestra. In his closing piece he demonstrated a dash of audience savvy as well.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Brahms, Symphony No. 2 in D Major; Shostakovich, Violin Concerto in A Minor; Strauss, Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks. Kurt Masur, conductor; Sergey Khachatryan, violin. April 18, 2009 at Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center. (215) 893-1900 or www.philorch.org.
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| Time-hopping with Ancient Instruments |
April 14 2009 |
America’s oldest active period instrument organization presented one of the most educational interludes I’ve experienced at a concert. The moment the big emotional voice of Vivian Barton Dozor’s cello filled Old First Reformed, I understood why the Romantic movement had captivated Europe and swept away most of the music that preceded it.
American Society of Ancient Instruments: Hugard, Suite No. 2; Le Roux, Suite in G Minor; Bach, Cello Suite 6 in D Major (transcribed); Burgmuller, Three Nocturnes; Paganini, Quartet No. 1 in D Major. April 12, 2009 at Old First Reformed Church, Fourth and Race. (610) 935-4579 or www.baroque-asai.org.
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| Network For New Music: Composing for painting |
April 07 2009 |
The Network for New Music asked three composers to create works based on paintings— and these composers actually did what they were asked to do.
Network for New Music: Harbison, Six American Painters; Laganella, Unattainable Spaces; Brodhead, Concerto in Light and Shadow, Echoes of Four American Artists. Jan Krzywicki, conductor. April 3, 2009 at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 118 N. Broad St. (at Cherry). (215) 972-7600 or www.networkfornewmusic.org.
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| ‘The Loathly Lady’ at Penn |
April 07 2009 |
What do women want? The Penn Humanities Forum recruits a world-class early music team for the world premiere of a musical comedy about an endlessly fascinating quest. It’s a stimulating evening, albeit one skewed against men.
The Loathly Lady. Music by Paul Richards; libretto by Wendy Steiner; from a story by Geoffrey Chaucer. Gary Thor Wedow, conductor. Penn Humanities Forum production April 3, 2009 at Irvine Auditorium, 34th and Spruce St. (215) 573-8280 or www.phf.upenn.edu.
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| Classical Symphony’s ‘Americans in Paris’ |
March 28 2009 |
The Classical Symphony’s music director, Karl Middleman, spotlights a fruitful combination: Paris and jazz.
Philadelphia Classical Symphony: “Americans in Paris.” Stravinsky, Ragtime; Antheil, Concerto for Chamber Orchestra/Octet for Winds; Milhaud, La Création du Monde; Piston, Divertimento for Nine Instruments; Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue. Jonathan Hulting-Cohen, saxophone; Hugh Sung, piano; Karl Middleman, conductor. March 20, 2009 at First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St. (610) 664-8481 or www.classicalsymphony.org.
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| Tempesta di Mare recreates Madame Levy’s Salon |
March 24 2009 |
Tempesta di Mare visits the salon of a musically sophisticated Berlin lady who helped revive Bach and launch the career of her grandnephew, Felix Mendelssohn.
Tempesta di Mare: Janitsch, Sonata di Camera in C; J.S. Bach, Sonata sopr’il Soggetto Reale in C Minor; W.F. Bach, Sonata in B-flat; C.P.E. Bach, Quartet in D Major; Quantz, Quartet in E Minor. Gwyn Roberts, flute; Emlyn Ngai, violin; Karina Fox, violin and viola; Eve Miller, cello; Richard Stone, lute; Adam Pearl, harpsichord. March 22, 2009 at Old St. Joseph’s Church, 321 Willings Alley. (215) 755-8776 or www.tempestadimare.org.
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| Lyric Fest’s ‘Voices of the Sea’ |
March 17 2009 |
Lyric Fest made its debut on the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society schedule with a program that could have used more of its customary narrative drive.
Lyric Fest: “Voices of the Sea.” Songs by Elgar, Berlioz, Schumann, Schubert, Brahms, Britten, Mendelssohn, Porter, et al. David Adams, tenor; Jennifer Casey Cabot, Randi J. Marrazzo and Leslie Johnson, sopranos; Suzanne DuPlantis, mezzo-soprano; Randall Scarlata, baritone; Laura Ward piano. March 12, 2009 at American Philosophical Society, 427 Chestnut St. (215) 438-1702 or www.lyricfest.org
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| Dolce Suono’s search for the ancient Greeks |
March 03 2009 |
What did ancient Greek music sound like? We’ll never know. But Dolce Suono took us on a worthy quest to provide an answer.
Dolce Suono: Haydn, Trio in G Major; Ravel, Chanson Madecasses; Ravel, La flute enchantée; Gill, Ode: A Dramatic Cantata. Mimi Stillman, flute; Yumi Kendall, cello; Charles Abramovic, piano; Donna Morein, mezzo-soprano. February 27, 2009 at First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St. (267) 252-1805 or www.dolcesuono.com.
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| Curtis grads play Schubert trios |
February 24 2009 |
Three of Curtis Institute’s most successful graduates of the past 20 years took on two of Schubert’s best-loved trios in a concert that explained, among other things, why chamber music audiences tend to be older than Olympic swimmers.
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society: Schubert, Piano Trio in B-Flat Major; Piano Trio in E-Flat Major. Soovin Kim, violin; Sophie Shao, cello; Ignat Solzhenitsyn, piano. February 22, 2008 at American Philosophical Society, Benjamin Franklin Hall, 427 Chestnut St. (215) 569-8080 or pcmsconcerts.org.
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| Brahms German Requiem by Chamber Orchestra (2nd review) |
February 17 2009 |
Ignat Solzhenitsyn leads a moving performance of a work that ventures into the deepest emotional areas of human life.
Brahms German Requiem. Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia with Choral Arts Society. Susanna Phillips, soprano; Randall Scarlata, baritone; Ignat Solzhenitsyn, conductor. Feb 13 & 15, 2009 at Perelman Theater, Verizon Hall. (215) 545-5451 or www.chamberorchestra.org.
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| Lyric Fest’s ‘Music in the White House’ |
February 10 2009 |
Lyric Fest sampled the tastes of U.S. presidents, whose musical interests could be surprisingly sophisticated. In the process, “Music in the White House” inadvertently reflected another important aspect of American culture: our inherent cosmopolitanism.
Lyric Fest: “Music in the White House.” Emily A. Bullock and Suzanne DuPlantis, mezzo-sopranos; Takesha Meshe Kizart, Sally Wolf and Randi J. Marrazzo, sopranos; Kevin Langan, bass; John Packard, baritone; Laura Ward, piano. With Tracey Matisak, narrator. and The Chamber Singers of Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges (Thomas Lloyd, director). February 8, 2009 at First Presbyterian Church, 21st and Walnut Sts. (215) 438-1702 or www.lyricfest.org.
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| ‘A Scandal in Bohemia,’ by Orchestra 2001 |
February 10 2009 |
This new opera about Sherlock Holmes creates a true Holmesian atmosphere, obviously written by someone who understands the Holmes legend. Thomas Whitman’s music ranges from workmanlike to inspired.
A Scandal in Bohemia. Opera based on a story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Thomas Whitman score, Nathalie Anderson libretto. Julian Rodescu (The “Reader”/King/Minister), David Kravitz (D. John Watson/Mr. Godfrey Norton), Laura Heimes (Irene Adler), Markus Beam (Sherlock Holmes); James Freeman, conductor. Orchestra 2001 performance February 6, 2009 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. (610) 544-6610 or www.orchestra2001.org.
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| Astral’s Saeka Matsuyama violin recital |
February 07 2009 |
A young violinist traverses 200 years of musical styles with the skill of a talented actor hopping through a series of costume changes and radically different characters.
Saeka Matsuyama in violin recital. Novacek, Moto Perpetuo; Lutoslawski, Subito; Brahms, Sonata No. 2 in G Major; Bach, Solo Sonata No. 2 in A minor; Saint-Saens, Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Minor. With Charles Abramovic, piano. Astral Artists presentation February 1, 2009 at Trinity Center for Urban Life, 22nd and Spruce Sts. (215) 735-6999 or www.astralartists.org.
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| A few words about adventurous programming |
January 27 2009 |
BSR contributor Beeri Moalem has issued a plea for more performances of new music. But the Western art music repertoire is essentially a huge library containing more than six centuries of music that no one can explore all of in a single lifetime. Two recent concerts offer cases in point.
Cynthia Raim: All-Schubert piano recital. Presented by Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, January 21, 2009 at American Philosophical Society, 427 Chestnut St. (215) 569-8080 www.pcmsconcerts.org.
Philadelphia Orchestra Chamber Music Series: Glinka, Grand Sextet: Elina Kalendareva, Paul Arnold, violins; Judy Geist, viola; Kathryn Picht Read, cello; Robert Kesselman, bass; Sonya Ovrutsky, piano. Schumann, Andante and Variations: Natalie Zhu, Kiyoko Takeuti, pianos; Hai-Ye Ni, Kathryn Picht Reid, cellos; Jeffrey Lang, horn. January 18, 2009 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. (215) 893-1900 or www.philorch.org.
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| ‘Sextet Spectacular’ by 1807 & Friends |
January 17 2009 |
The latest 1807 & Friends program did everything a good chamber music session is supposed to do. So what else can you say?
1807 and Friends: Sextet Spectacular. Dvorak, String Sextet in A Major; Tchaikovsky, Souvenir de Florence. Nancy Bean, David Booth, violins; Pamela Fay, Kerri Ryan, violas; Lloyd Smith, Yumi Kendall, cellos. January 12, 2009 at Academy of Vocal Arts. (215) 438-4027 or www.1807andfriends.org.
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| ‘Freeway Philharmonic’: California’s freelance musicians |
January 13 2009 |
In 55 well-edited minutes, an insightful documentary captures the challenging life style of California’s freelance classical musicians. Philadelphia freelancers— who constitute the backbone of a dozen local musical groups— will find here a reflection of their own unpredictable lives.
Freeway Philharmonic. DVD documentary produced and directed by Tal Skloot. 55 minutes; $25. Shira Records. (Aired on WHYY-TV, January 7, 2009.) www.freewayphil.com.
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| Unsung musical heroes: The entrepreneurs |
December 30 2008 |
Performers and music lovers alike owe a debt to the unsung heroes of Philadelphia’s cultural scene. This New Year, let’s pause to toast the small but growing band of visionaries who create and maintain our musical organizations.
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| Orchestra 2001 plays Messiaen |
December 16 2008 |
Orchestra 2001 marks the 100th birthday of Olivier Messiaen with two pieces that capture the cosmic and deeply personal feelings behind his work.
Orchestra 2001: Messiaen, Fantasie for Violin and Piano (Barbara Govatos, violin; Marcantonio Barone, piano); Levinson, Morning Star; Messiaen, Visions de L’Amen for Two Pianos (Barone and James Freeman, piano). December 10, 2008 at Lang Concert Hall, Swarthmore College. (610) 544-6610 or www.orchestra2001.org.
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| Philadelphia Science Fiction Conference |
December 14 2008 |
I've been defending science fiction against various onslaughts ever since I started reading it. For me, it’s a literary response to the knowledge that the future will be different from the present-- probably very different.
The Philadelphia Science Fiction Conference, Philcon 2008. November 21-23, 2008 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Cherry Hill, N.J. www.philcon.org.
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| Ricardo Morales plus |
December 14 2008 |
Novel programming adds extra spice to a recital that features clarinetist Ricardo Morales and two other local stars.
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society: Debussy, Premier Rhapsodie; Dunhill, Phantasy Suite; Bernstein, Clarinet Sonata; Zemlinsky, Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano in D Minor. Ricardo Morales, clarinet; Natalie Zhu, piano; Efe Baltacigil, cello. December 1, 2008 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. (215) 569-8080 or pcmsconcerts.org.
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| Orchestra 2001 plays Carter and Copland |
November 18 2008 |
Orchestra 2001 looks at four pieces, each built around a distinctive framework, including two written by the durable Elliot Carter in his 90s.
Orchestra 2001: Piston, Divertimento for Nine Instruments; Carter, Asko Concerto; Carter, Dialogues (Emmanuel Arciuli, piano); Copland, Appalachian Spring. James Freeman, conductor. November 15, 2008 at Independence Seaport Museum. (610) 544-6610 or www.orchestra2001.org.
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| Conductors and ‘the vision thing’ |
November 15 2008 |
If they have the right vision, lesser known regional conductors can outperform stars as lustrous as Riccardo Muti. Both Karl Middleman and Mischa Santora have lately demonstrated visions of their own.
Philadelphia Classical Symphony: Saint-George, Symphonie Concertante in G Major for Two Violins and String Orchestra; Mozart, Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra in E Flat Major. Hirono Oka, violin; C.J. Chang, violin and viola; Karl Middleman, conductor. October 31, 2008 at First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St. (215) 228-2224 or www.classicalsymphony.org.
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia: Rossini, Overture to L’Italiana in Algieri; Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat Major. Shai Wosner, piano. Haydn, Symphony No. 86 in D Major. Mischa Santora, conductor. November 9, 2008. At Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center, Broad and Spruce. (215) 545-5451 or www.chamberorchestra.org.
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| Lyric Fest’s ‘World of Friends’ |
November 11 2008 |
Lyric Fest offered children an international song and dance extravaganza with the quality and sophistication that kids should be exposed to when they make their first acquaintance with the arts.
Lyric Fest: “A World of Friends.” Songs by Mozart, Ravel, Poulenc, Brahms, Barber, Shostakovich, et al. Suzanne DuPlantis, Jennifer Hsiung, mezzos; Cara Latham, Randi J. Marrazzo, Maggie Moliterno, sopranos; Mark Moliterno, baritone; Richard Troxell, tenor. Motet Choir of the Pennsylvania Girlchoir, Mark A. Anderson, conductor; Caroline Foley and the Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble; Lisa Lovelace and Her Dancing Friends; Jake Miller and Wilder Troxell, actors. November 9, 2008 at Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Ave. (215) 438-1702 or www.lyricfest.org.
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| Piffaro’s Catherine de’ Medici concert |
October 28 2008 |
Catherine de’ Medici encountered her problems as queen of France. But Piffaro reminds us that she got to listen to some great music while she was dealing with them.
Piffaro: “Italy and France, A Florentine Patroness at the Parisian Court.” Verdelot, Pisano, Certon, other Italian and French composers. Shari Alise Wilson, soprano; Grant Herreid, Greg Ingles, Joan Kimball, Christa Patton, Priscilla Smith, Robert Wiemken, Tom Zajac, musicians. Joan Kimball and Robert Wiemken, co-directors. October 25, 2008 at Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Ave. (215) 235-8469 or www.piffaro.com.
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| Choral Arts Society’s Eric Whitacre concert |
October 28 2008 |
The Choral Arts Society bet its season opener on a single popular young choral composer— Eric Whitacre, who’s not yet 40. Call it another example of the Society’s intelligent adventurousness under conductor Matthew Glandorf.
Choral Arts Society: Whitacre, i thank You God for most this amazing day, Five Hebrew Love Songs, This Marriage, Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine, When David Heard, Water Night, Cloudburst. Joshua Stafford, piano; Patricia Franchescy and Gabriel Globus-Honic, percussion; Matthew Glandorf, conductor. October 26, 2008 at Philadelphia Cathedral, 3723 Chestnut St. (215) 240-6417 or www.choralarts.com.
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| Philadelphia Orchestra’s concerto feast |
October 14 2008 |
Charles Dutoit may have emphasized Berlioz in his pre-season remarks, but the Philadelphia Orchestra’s first three concerts indicated he’s prepared a more balanced menu. The big winners in all three events were the concertos.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Haydn Sinfonia concertante in B-flat major. Juliette Kang, violin; Daniel Matsukawa, bassoon; Hai-Ye Ni, cello; Richard Woodhams, oboe; Rossen Milanov, conductor.
Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-flat major; Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 1 in C-minor. Martha Argerich, piano; David Bilger trumpet; Charles Dutoit, conductor.
Penderecki Concerto Grosso No. 1 for three cellos and orchestra. Han-Na Chang, Daniel Miller-Schott, Arto Noras, cello; Charles Dutoit, conductor.
September 30, October 2 and 11, 2008 at Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center. (215) 893-1900 or www.philorch.org.
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| Crumb’s American classics, by Orchestra 2001 |
October 07 2008 |
George Crumb is one of the most outlandish living American composers and one of the most accessible, because you know he always has a reason for the things he does. At 80, he applied his inventiveness to ten American classics.
Orchestra 2001. Crumb, Voices from the Morning of the Earth; Vigue, Tides; Schwantner, Distant Runes and Incantations. Ann Crumb, soprano; Randall Scarlata, baritone; Marcantonio Barone, piano; William Kerrigan, Susan Jones, David Nelson, Angela Nelson, percussion. James Freeman, conductor. October 3, 2008 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. (610) 544-6610 or www.orchestra2001.org.
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| Tempesta di Mare’s Hamburg concert |
October 07 2008 |
The Tempesta di Mare Baroque Orchestra artfully showcased the musical culture of an 18th-Century city governed by businessmen.
Orchestra Music from Hamburg: Tempesta di Mare Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra. Emlyn Ngai, concertmaster; Gwyn Roberts, flute. October 4, 2008 at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church. (215) 755-8776 or www.tempestadimare.org.
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| Lyric Fest’s ‘Mahler Resurrected’ |
October 04 2008 |
The Lyric Fest song series opened its season with a portrait of Gustav Mahler, consisting of letters, music and songs assembled by performers who’ve spent a significant portion of their careers mastering his work.
Lyric Fest: Mahler Resurrected. Kendra Colton and Randi Marrazzo, sopranos; Marquita Raley and Suzanne DuPlantis, mezzo sopranos; Christopher Bolduc, baritone; Laura Ward, piano; Ellen Tobie and Jim Bergwall, narration and readings. September 28, 2008 at First Presbyterian Church, 21st and Walnut. (215) 438.1702 or http://www.lyricfest.org.
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| Critic's music picks for 2008-09 |
September 16 2008 |
A few highly personal selections from a coming musical season that encompasses six hundred years of styles and passions.
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| ‘4x4’ at Fringe Festival |
September 09 2008 |
Todd Holtsberry’s tour de force marches audiences through the back rooms of the Plays and Players Theater, where four different plays by four different Philadelphia playwrights are in progress. It’s a good example of the intriguing, generally inexpensive evenings the Fringe Festival adds to the Philadelphia season.
“4X4”: Crumbled Worlds, By Robin Rodriguez; The Last Dance, by Sam Toll; The Opposite of Moths, by Brian Grace
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| Olympic (and artistic) geeks |
August 19 2008 |
Once every four years, table tennis sharks and air rifle sharpshooters emerge from obscurity and become the standard bearers of mighty nations, just as great writers emerge from obscurity every four years or so with a new book. The true spirit of the Olympics is the force that has shaped much of the modern world: the relentless drive of the obsessive-compulsive personality.
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| Philadelphia Orchestra’s Mann roundup |
July 26 2008 |
The "other" soloists on the Orchestra’s summer schedule failed to draw the crowds that Yo Yo Ma attracted. But their Fairmount Park audiences heard some first-class music making.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Mozart Piano Concerto No. 22 in E-flat Major: Leon McCawley, piano; Rossen Milanov, conductor. Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini: Kirill Gerstein, piano; Thomas Wilkins, conductor. Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor: Jon K
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| Concert Operetta Theater’s ‘Naughty Marietta� |
July 03 2008 |
Some people get all warm inside when they hear a snatch of Frank Sinatra or the rock group that happened to be leading the charts when they first started dating. I have a weakness for Sigmund Romberg's "Wanting You" and "The Riff Song." That should be everyone’s worst vice.
Naughty Marietta. Music by Victor Herbert; lyrics by Rida Johnson Young; Jose Melendez, music director and piano. Concert Operetta Theater production through June 21, 2008
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| Philadelphia Harp Festival |
June 17 2008 |
Harpist Saul Zlatkovsky joins the hardy band of part-time impresarios who keep Philadelphia lively.
Harp Music Festival of Philadelphia: Music by Loeillet, Rodrigo, J.C. Bach, Ravel, Malecki, others. Joan Holland, Helen Gerhold, Jude Mollenhauer, Virginia Flanagan, Alison Simpson, harp; Bruce Zhang, Grace Kim, Chi Park, Claudia Pellegrini, violin. Susan Arnold, viola; Samuel Soltoff, Steven Duckworth, cello; Marja Kaisla, piano. June 14-15, 2008, at Church of
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| Pretensions of ‘Bigger, Stronger, Faster’ |
May 25 2008 |
Bodybuilding may indeed be an interesting phenomenon, as Chris Bell contends in Bigger, Stronger, Faster. But please— spare us the half-baked sociological punditry.
Bigger, Stronger, Faster. Documentary film directed by Chris Bell. Beginning May 30, 2008 at Ritz at the Bourse, Fourth and Ludlow Sts. . (215) 925-7900.or www.biggerstrongerfastermovie.com.
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| Chamber Music Society with Mitsuko Uchida |
May 17 2008 |
The great pianist Mitsuko Uchida and five younger colleagues end the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society season with a military recruiting piece and an apocalyptic response to World War II.
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society: Bartok, Contrasts (Soovin Kim, violin; Martin Frost, clarinet; Llyr Williams, piano); Messiaen, Quartet for the End of Time (Mitsuko Uchida, piano; Martin Frost, clarinet; Soovin Kim, violin; Christian Poltera, piano). May 15, 2008
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| Classical Symphony plays Bernstein et al |
May 17 2008 |
Karl Middleman, one of Philadelphia’s embattled conductor/organizers, demonstrates the individualistic variety he and his fellows add to our music season. If only they were as good at fund-raising as they are at programming.
Classical Symphony: Canning, Fantasy on a Hymn by Justin Morgan; Tate, Shakamaxon; Bernstein, Serenade After Plato’s Symposium. Hirono Oka, solo violin; Karl Middleman, conductor. May 9, 2008 at Trin
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| Orchestra’s ‘Symphony of a Thousand’ (2nd re |
May 10 2008 |
Mahler experimented with the big orchestra in the same way George Crumb experiments with prepared pianos. The Symphony of a Thousand may not be his most successful experiment, but it’s a beautiful, unique experience.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Mahler Symphony of a Thousand (Eighth Symphony in E-Flat major). May 1-3 2008 at Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center. (215) 893-1900 or www.philorch.org.
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| Society of Ancient Instruments |
May 06 2008 |
Elin Frazier, a notably musical Baroque trumpeter, shows her stuff in perfect balance with the Society’s viol and harpsichord ensemble.
American Society of Ancient Instruments: Cazzati Sonata a 5, La Bianchina; Baldassare Sonata in F. No. 2; Vivaldi Concerto in B Flat Minor; other works by various composers for viols and harpsichord. May 4, 2008 at Old First Reformed Church, Fourth and Race Sts. (610) 935-4579 or Network for New Music |
May 03 2008 |
The Network for New Music ends its season with a program that combines the attractions of pure music with the profundities of music that communicates strong personal feelings.
Network for New Music: Ran, Song and Dance; Tsontakis, Gymnopedies; Currier, Static. April 27, 2008 at Ethical Society, 1906 S. Rittenhouse Square. (215) 848-7647 or http://www.networkfornewmusic.org
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| Chamber Orchestra plays Mahler (1st review) |
April 19 2008 |
The conductor and the soloists at the latest Chamber Orchestra concert all did their jobs, but the gang sitting behind them deserves some special attention.
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia: Mahler, Das Lied von der Erde (arranged Arnold Schoenberg, completed Rainer Riehn). Mary Ann McCormick, mezzo-soprano; Jason Collins, tenor; Gloria Justen, Robert Martin, violins; Alexandra Leem, viola; James J. Cooper III, cello; Miles B. Davis, bass; Edward Schultz flute, Geoff
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| Lyric Fest: Philadelphia composers |
April 19 2008 |
One of the two most consistently enjoyable series in the city produces another wide-ranging spectacular. A program devoted to music by composers who spent part of their lives in Philadelphia provided a long list of surprises.
Lyric Fest: Songs by Bernstein, Barber, Rochberg, Rorem, Crumb, Menotti, Higdon, Garwood, et al. Jennifer Aylmer, Randi J. Marrazzo, Sally Wolf, sopranos; Markus Beam, baritone; Timothy Bentch, tenor; Megan Dey-Toth, Suzanne DuPlantis, mezzos; Tr
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| Orchestra 2001, French style |
April 15 2008 |
Orchestra 2001 presents two works its conductor considers 20th Century masterpieces and provides the evidence to support his opinion.
Orchestra 2001: Milhaud, La Creation du Monde. Reise, The River Within. Maria Bachmann, violin; Honegger, Symphony No. 2. James Freeman, conductor. April 12, 2008 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. (215) 922-2190 or www.orchestra2001.org.
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| Philadelphia Singers: Haydn and Mozart |
April 12 2008 |
The Philadelphia Singers celebrated their 35th birthday-- and a more secure future-- with two of their all-time favorites.
Philadelphia Singers: Haydn, Missa in Angustiis (“Nelson Mass”) in D minor: Rachel Levine, soprano; Sandra Carney, mezzo-soprano; Kenneth Garner, tenor; James Stieber, bass. Mozart, Vesperae Solennes di Confessore: Heidi Kurtz, soprano; Alyson Harvey, mezzo-soprano; Steven Bradshaw, tenor; Franklin Phillips, baritone. Ch
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| Astral’s ‘Zlabys and Friends’ |
April 05 2008 |
Astral Artistic Services demonstrates that an organization devoted to helping young performers can showcase young composers, too.
Andrius Zlabys and Friends: Levkovich, Piano Trio; Mahler, Piano Quartet; Prado, Suite de Baile piano quintet. Sharlat, piano quartet. Pavel Ilyashov, Yayra Matyakubova, Anton Jivaev, violins; Wendy Warner, cello; Andrius Zlabys, piano. Presented by Astral Artistic Services, March 30, 2008 at Trinity Center, 22
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| Orchestra’s ‘Popul vuh’ |
April 01 2008 |
Ginastera’s Popul vuh lends the Mayan creation myth a musical evocation worthy of its imagery.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Ginastera, Popul vuh, the Creation of the Mayan World. Leonard Slatkin, conductor. March 27-29, 2008 at Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center. (215) 893-1900 or www.philorch.org.
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| Bach Festival’s Brandenburg Concertos |
March 29 2008 |
Bach may have thought of the Brandenburg Concertos as ensemble pieces, but they pack more oomph when they’re played like concertos. In conductor Jonathan Sternberg’s version, the soloist was just another member of the orchestra.
Bach Festival of Philadelphia: Bach Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 6, 1, 3, 2, 4, 5. Mimi Stillman, flute; Hirono Oka, violin; Geoffrey Deemer, oboe; Rachel Serber, trumpet; Charles Abramovic, harpsichord. Musicians from the Chamber Orchestra
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| Vox Ama Deus Mass in B Minor |
March 25 2008 |
Should a conductor interrupt a secular performance of a religious work with a statement that clearly reflects his own religious views? How do we define the limits of appropriate behavior in a multi-religious society?
Vox Ama Deus: Bach Mass in B Minor. Bonnie Hoke, soprano; Jody Kidwell, alto; Timothy Bentch, tenor; Ed Bara, bass. Valentin Radu, conductor. March 21, 2008 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. (610) 688-2800 or Rhorer conducts Chamber Orchestra |
March 15 2008 |
The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia introduces another winner from the Solzhenitsyn Generation: the 35-year-old French conductor Jeremie Rhorer.
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia: Rameau, Suite from Hippolyte et Aricie; Boieldieu, Harp Concerto in C Major; Debussy, Danses sacrées et profane (Elizabeth Hainen, harp); Rameau, Suite from Les Indes galantes. Jeremie Rhorer, conductor. March 9, 2008 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel C
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| Tempesta di Mare with puppets |
March 11 2008 |
Tempesta di Mare presents a half-successful attempt to create the spectacle of Baroque opera with puppets.
Tempesta di Mare Baroque Orchestra: Monteverdi, Il Combattimento di Tancredi e di Clorinda. Handel, Tra la Flamme; Marguerite Krull, soprano; Aaron Sheehan, tenor, David Allan Newman, baritone. Richard Stone, music director. Mock Turtle Marionette Theater: Doug Roysdon, stage director and master puppeteer. March 7-9, 2008 at Plays and Players Theat
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| Orchestra’s ‘Eirene’ and ‘Carmina Burana |
March 08 2008 |
Music isn’t limited to the simple expression of feelings. And peace is just as dynamic as war— and much more complex. Willi’s Eirene, like Orff’s Carmina Burana, lets us see old subjects in a new light.
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia: Tomasi, Fanfares Liturgiques. Ignat Solzhenitsyn, conductor. February 24, 2008 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. (215) 545-5451 or Chestnut Brass turns 30 |
February 26 2008 |
The globetrotting Grammy winner that resurrected the special sound of 19th-Century brass instruments returns to the city of its origin for a 30th anniversary celebration.
Chestnut Brass Company: Works by Praetorius, Weber, Morton, Rossini, Clark, Conner, Foster, Gershwin, Berlin, Vierk, Schickele, Krzywicki, Higdon. Bruce Barrie and John Charles Thomas, trumpets; Marian Hesse, horn; Larry Zimmerman, trombone; Jay Krush, tuba. February 18, 2008 at Ethical Society, 1906 S. Ritte
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| The tango and young musicians |
February 26 2008 |
Can a pair of tangos tell us something about the direction of our culture? You don’t need Rudolf Valentino when musicians play the tango the way Mimi Stillman and Astral’s young artists play it.
Dolce Suono: Piazzolla, Canto un Tango. Mimi Stillman, flute; Allan Krantz, guitar. February 13, 2008 at First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St. (267) 252-1803 or www.dolcesuono.org.
As
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| Opera Company’s ‘Cyrano’ (4th review) |
February 19 2008 |
David DiChiera’s Cyrano succeeds if you’re satisfied with an opera that uses music to tell a story. But it sacrifices the quixotic character who first stirred my adolescent soul.
Cyrano. Opera by David DiChiera (music) and Bernard Uzan (libretto). Opera Company of Philadelphia production through February 17, 2008 at Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Sts. (215) 732-8400 or www.operaphilly.com.
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| Gilbert leads the Orchestra (3rd review) |
February 16 2008 |
Ten years ago, when he was a student, I concluded that Alan Gilbert possesses the basic qualities a conductor should posses. With one qualification, I stand by that assessment.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Hillborg Exquisite Corpse; Bartok Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion; Nielsen Second Symphony. Emanuel Ax and Yoko Nozaki, piano; Alan Gilbert, conductor. February 7-9, 2008 at Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center. (215) 893-1900 or Chamber Orchestra’s two Randalls |
February 03 2008 |
In the wrong hands, this could have been a so-so concert, since none of the pieces on the program could be considered major attractions. Two Randalls— Scarlata and Fleischer— turned it into one of the most enjoyable Chamber Orchestra concerts I’ve attended.
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia: Mozart, Symphony No. 28 in C Major; Ravel, Trois Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé; Stravinsky, Deux Poèmes de Paul Verlaine (Randall Sc
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| Tempesta di Mare revives Janitsch |
February 02 2008 |
Five pieces by one of Frederick the Great’s court composers received their first performances in two centuries and warmed the hearts of 21st-Century Philadelphians. You couldn’t hear these pieces without visualizing the private, cultivated setting they were written for.
Tempesta di Mare: Janitsch Sonata die Chiesa in A Minor, Sonata da Camera in C, Sonata da Camera in E-flat, Sonata da Camera in G Minor, Quadro in G. Gwyn Roberts, flute and recorder; Geoff
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| Jennifer Higdon Festival (third review) |
January 27 2008 |
Both Jennifer Higdon works premiered at the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Leonard Bernstein Festival were seriously flawed. Her song sequence Bentley Roses, on the other hand, was a pure delight.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Higdon, The Singing Rooms. Jennifer Koh, violin; Philadelphia Singers Chorale; Christoph Eschenbach, conductor. January 17 and 23, 2008 at Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center. (215) 893-1900 Music or performers? (Critic’s reply) |
January 22 2008 |
Corbin Abernathy, of Voces Novae et Antiquae, complains in a letter that my recent review of For So The Children Come focused solely on the poet and the composer, to the neglect of the performers. He’s right, and he deserves a response.
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| Voces Novae’s ‘For So The Children Come’ |
January 13 2008 |
Sophia Lyon Fahs knew what she was talking about when she said fathers and mothers “feel glory in the sight of a new life beginning.” Elizabeth Alexander’s musical adaptation was the most personally moving piece I encountered this past Christmas season.
Voces Novae et Antiquae: Alexander, For So the Children Come. Jody Applebaum, soprano; Jodi Nieman, alto; Peter de Mets, tenor. Robert A.M. Ross, conductor. Through January 6, 2008 at Fleisher Art Memorial,
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| New City’s ‘Extremities’ |
January 13 2008 |
Extremities is a strong play with a powerful central idea: What do you do when the law can’t— or won’t— protect you? The New City production is believably acted and efficiently and unobtrusively directed.
Extremities. Drama by William Mantrosimone; directed by William Roudebush. Presented by New City Stage Company through January 20, 2008 at Mumpuppetheater, 115 Arch St. (215) 563-7500 or Piffaro’s ‘Vespers’ |
January 13 2008 |
Piffaro, Philadelphia’s Renaissance band, gambled a major program on a single work by one Philadelphia composer. Kile Smith gave them one of the major events of the music season.
Piffaro: Smith’s Vespers. The Crossing chorus and vocal solos, with Piffaro Renaissance instruments. Donald Nally, conductor. January 5, 2008 at Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion, 2110 Chestnut St. 215-235-8469 or www.piffaro.com.
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| Dolce Suono: Triumph of the winds |
December 11 2007 |
After 19-plus seasons as a reviewer, our critic admits he’s undervalued a major musical form. In appropriate hands, the wind quintet can produce an interplay of tone colors and well-defined instrumental voices that puts it in a class by itself.
Dolce Suono: Ibert’s Trois Pieces Breves, Reicha Quintet #20 in D minor, Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin (arr. Mason Jones), Barber’s Summer Music (Mimi Stillman, flute; Geoffrey Deemer,
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| Orchestra’s ‘Das Paradies und die Peri’ (1st |
December 01 2007 |
Sir Simon Rattle’s devotees may have come mostly to see him bounce around the podium, but they got to hear some beautiful music, too.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Schumann, Das Paradies und die Peri. Simon Rattle, conductor; Heidi Grant Murphy, soprano; Christine Brandes, soprano, Bernarda Fink, mezzo-soprano; Mark Padmore, tenor; Joseph Kaiser, tenor; Luca Pisaroni, bass-baritone; The Philadelphia Singers Chorale. November 29, 2007 at Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center. (215) 89
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| Miró Quartet’s ‘Necronomicon’ |
November 24 2007 |
With John Zorn’s fantastic and magical Necronomicon Quartet, the pulp horror writer H.P. Lovecraft has once again risen from his grave and triumphed over his critics. Or has he?
Miró Quartet: Zorn, Necronomicon (Daniel Ching, Sandy Yamamoto, violins; John Largess, viola; Joshua Gindele, cello). Program also includes Mozart String Quartet in D Major K. 499, Brahms String Quartet
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| ‘Last Songs’ by Lyric Fest |
November 13 2007 |
The Lyric Fest art song series devoted its latest program to the last songs of European and American composers. This was a great idea for a program, with one slight problem: A composer’s final melody isn’t necessarily his best one.
Lyric Fest: Last Songs. Songs by Beethoven, Purcell, Bernstein, Britten, Brahms, etc. David Adams, Suzanne DuPlantis, Randi Marrazzo, Stephen Powell, Katherine Pracht, Julian Rodescu, Barbara Shirvis, vocalists; Laura Ward, Harold
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| Orchestra's postlude concert |
November 13 2007 |
I’ve never understood why many people think spontaneous outbursts are more artistically fulfilling than music played from carefully thought out scores. Does anybody think an actor could have come up with “To be or not to be” on the spur of the moment?
Network for New Music, Philadelphia Orchestra postlude: Mandat, Folk Songs (Paul Demers, clarinet); Sierra, Bongo-0 (Anthony Orlando, bongos). November 8, 2007 at Verizon Hall. (215) 848-
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| Orchestra 2001, Phila. Classical Symphony |
November 06 2007 |
Mozart comes in second to the flutist Valerie Coleman at an Orchestra 2001 concert. And how would Handel and Scarlatti react to high fives by performers?
Orchestra 2001: Bazza, Scherzo; Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin; Franck, Scherzo; Mozart, Divertimento in B-flat Major; Coleman, Concerto Afro-Cuban for Wind Quintet and Orchestra. James Freeman, conductor. November 3, 2007 at Port of History Museum, Penn’s Landing. (215) 92
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| French music: Three concerts |
October 27 2007 |
Three musical organizations explore French music and French influence on American music from the Baroque to the present. How many American cities could team a fully professional chorus with a violist like Roberto Diaz and a percussionist like Don Liuzzi?
Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra: Ravel Mother Goose Suite; De Malaret Chants D’Auvergne (Leslie Johnson, soprano); Debussy Petite Suite; Ravel Bolero. Daniel Spalding,
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| Orchestra’s ‘Discovery’ concert |
October 13 2007 |
How to reach a younger audience? The Orchestra is currently trying a policy that puts unfamiliar music in front of people who actually want to give it a try. At this concert, the crowd was definitely coffeehouse age.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Rihm, Verwandlung 2; Reinecke, Flute Concerto in D Major (Jeffrey Khaner, flute); Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring. Christoph Eschenbach, conductor. September 27, 2007 at Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center. (215) 893-1900 or
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| Dolce Suono: Trios by four composers |
October 13 2007 |
Dolce Suono spotlights the creativity of four Philadelphia composers and the potential of an unfamiliar form: the trio for flute, cello and piano. Are we living in a second Baroque period without realizing it?
Dolce Suono: Rorem Trio for Flute, Violoncello, and Piano; Cacioppo Snake Dance Trio (Soyohim Kachina); Abramovic Beasts; Crumb Vox Balaenae (Voice of the Whales). Mimi Stillman, flute; Yumi Kendall, cello; Charles Abramovic, pia
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| Lyric Fest’s ‘Shakespeare: A Biography in Music |
September 25 2007 |
Lyric Fest presents a crowded profile of an internationally successful songwriter and librettist.
Lyric Fest: “William Shakespeare, a Biography in Music.” Lyrics by William Shakespeare, music by various. Markus Beam, Kiera Duffy, Suzanne DuPlantis, Bryan Hymel, Jody Kidwell, Randi Marrazzo, Jaquita Mitchell, Mark Moliterno, vocalists; Laura Ward, piano. Jim Bergwall, actor. September 23, 2007 at First Presbyterian Church, 21st and Walnut. (215
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| Purdom’s picks for 2007-08 |
September 25 2007 |
A reviewer with oscillating tastes lists his higher hopes for the new season.
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| Orchestra 2001 plays Crumb |
September 18 2007 |
George Crumb plays around with doctored pianos and odd effects, but he uses novel means to achieve classic ends. His techniques may look outré, but he’s doing the same thing that good accompanists do when they create scenes and moods as they play a standard piano accompaniment.
Orchestra 2001, James Freeman, conductor. Crumb’s Otherworldly Resonances (Marcantonio Barone and James Freeman, amplified piano); Tchaikovsky Concert Piece for Flute and Str
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| Alan Gilbert: The conductor as leader |
August 28 2007 |
Conductors must possess three critical personal qualities. Alan Gilbert, the new music director of the New York Philharmonic, displayed two of them the first time I saw him conduct at Curtis. And that was before I heard him conduct a major symphony.
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| Those who can, should |
August 28 2007 |
After I’d spent 50 years as a check-depositing writer, it took a chance remark by Yumi Kendall, the Philadelphia Orchestra’s young assistant principal cellist, to convince me once and for all that I hadn’t wasted my life.
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| ‘Peter and the Wolf” at the Mann |
July 31 2007 |
If you feel children can’t achieve full adulthood without learning that an oboe can imitate a duck, you’d probably find this animated film version of Peter and the Wolf is less successful than a traditional narrated performance. But the kids on hand learned that a trip to the orchestra can be fun.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Britten Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Purcell, Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf, Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Min
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| Orchestra's second ‘East Meets West’ program |
July 24 2007 |
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s second “East Meets West” program at the Mann explored more aspects of the musical interchange. But the Mann’s cavernous space requires a bigger tone than Midori produced on this occasion.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Ravel Suite from Mother Goose; Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D Major; Tan Dun Overture: Dragon and Phoenix from Heaven Earth Mankind; Debussy La Mer. Rossen Milanov, conduct
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| Lang Lang at the Mann |
July 24 2007 |
Yellow River is that rare item, a successful piece of democratic art. But Lang Lang’s histrionics are no substitute for the passion he should communicate through his piano.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Mozart Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major; Various China Air Suite, Yellow River, concerto for piano and orchestra. Lang Lang, piano; Long Yu, conductor. July 18, 2007 at Mann Music Center. (215) 893-1900 or
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| Eschenbach vs. Milanov |
July 07 2007 |
When Milanov conducted the Shostakovich, I realized it was a perfect expression of the feelings I associate with the quiet, sober veterans I met immediately after World War II. I didn’t hear any of that in Eschenbach’s performance.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Higdon Concerto for Orchestra, Beethoven Symphony Number Nine. Arianna Zukerman, soprano; Jennifer Hines, mezzo-soprano; Stephen Tharp, tenor; Stephen Powell, baritone; Philadelphia Singers Chorale; Ro
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| Milanov vs. Eschenbach |
July 07 2007 |
When Milanov conducted the Shostakovich, I realized it was a perfect expression of the feelings I associate with the quiet, sober veterans I met immediately after World War II. I didn’t hear any of that in Eschenbach’s performance.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Higdon Concerto for Orchestra, Beethoven Symphony Number Nine. Arianna Zukerman, soprano; Jennifer Hines, mezzo-soprano; Stephen Tharp, tenor; Stephen Powell, baritone; Philadelphia Singers Chorale; Ro
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| Orchestra’s ‘Best Of…’ concerts |
June 26 2007 |
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s “Best of...” concerts were obviously designed to attract people who aren’t familiar with the Orchestra’s wares. Rossen Milanov gave them useful guides when he talked, and the real unadulterated stuff when he conducted. And yes, he did indeed crowd a portrait of Beethoven’s development into a single evening.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Best of Mozart, Best of Beethoven, Best of Tchaikovsky. Excerpts from works b
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| Center City Opera’s ‘Dorian Gray’ (2nd review) |
June 19 2007 |
The Picture of Dorian Gray is over a century old, but it’s a story that speaks to modern audiences. It will probably seem even more relevant as life spans continue to lengthen and medical progress continues to reduce the effects of aging.
Lowell Liebermann’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. Jorge Garza (Dorian Gray), Jason Switzer (Lord Henry), Megan Marie Hart (Sibyl Vane), Richard Ziebarth (Basil Hallward), Joseph Specter (James Vane). An
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| Lyric Fest’s ‘Once Upon a Time’ |
May 22 2007 |
There’s nothing like the sound of a classically trained, unamplified voice singing at full power at the end of your pew, a few feet from your ear. It’s something every child of the Stereo Age should experience at least once.
“Once Upon a Time.” Lyric Fest, with Youngjo An, Amerew Cummings, Suzanne DuPlantis, Mega Day-Toth, Jeffrey Halili, Randi Marrazzo, Sheryl Woods, vocalists; Laura Ward, piano; Jake Miller and Yes!…And Studio, The Motet
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| Music Group’s ‘Winging Wildly’ |
May 22 2007 |
Second hearings are actually rarer than premieres. Most music organizations are happy to schedule a premiere now and then. Repeat performances are less glamorous.
“Winging Wildly: Music for Chamber Chorus.” Mechem’s Winging Wildly, Convery’s Israfel; Copland’s In the Beginning. Music Group of Philadelphia; Sean Deibler conducting; Janice Fiore, soprano; Terence Belzer, oboe. May 18, 2007 at Trinity Center for Urban
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| A trio of violin concerts |
April 28 2007 |
The Philadelphia Orchestra, Orchestra 2001 and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia inadvertently present an unplanned three-concert violin festival, covering the Western tradition of violin music from 1733 to sometime around ten p.m. EDT on April 14, 2007.
Orchestra 2001: Clearfield Romanza for Violin and Orchestra with Gloria Justin; James Freeman conducting. April 14 2007 at Trinity Center for Urban Life, 22nd and Spruce Sts. 215-922-2190 or Lyric Fest's 'American Poets in Song' |
April 24 2007 |
The Lyric Fest song series surveys the huge library of songs based on American poetry created by American composers. Every selection met my primary test for song settings: The music always added something extra to the words.
Lyric Fest: American Poets in Song. Timothy Bentch, Suzanne DuPlantis, Leslie Johnson, Randi Marrazzo, Randall Scarlata, Elizabeth Weigle, Paul Sperry, vocalists; Laura Ward, piano. April 15, 2007 at First Presbyterian Church, 21st and Walnut.
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| Vox Ama Deus performs Verdi’s ‘Requiem’ |
April 21 2007 |
Verdi’s Requiem was a good choice for a Good Friday tribute to the fallen of Iraq and Afghanistan, but it’s also a piece that moved Vox Ama Deus out of its normal range of the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical periods.
Verdi Requiem. Vox Ama Deus: Tatyana Galitskaya, soprano; Tatyana Rashkovsky, mezzo-soprano; Kenneth Garner, tenor; Ed Bara, bass; Valentin Radu, conductor. April 6, 2007, at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. (610) 688-2800 o
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| Philomel and Piffaro do the Hapsburgs and Louis XI |
April 10 2007 |
Most history texts will tell you the Hapsburgs married their way to the top. But how many historians could play the music composed for one of those marriages?
Philomel: “The Princess and the Flea: A New Look at Music and Manners in the Court of Louis XIV.” March 23, 2007 at Christ Church, Second and Market Sts. (215) 487-2344 or www.philomel.org.
Piffaro and Parthena: Music by Or
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| Beaux Arts Trio plays Schubert and Shostakovich |
April 10 2007 |
The opening of Schubert’s Notturno did everything it’s supposed to; the opening of Shostakovich’s Second Piano Trio didn’t. You can’t play Shostakovich’s music if you can’t work your way into the tensions that harry a creative artist trapped in a society dominated by the tragedies of war and the whims of a capricious tyrant.
Beaux Arts Trio: Schubert Notturno, Shostakovich Piano Trio No. 2 in E Minor, Turnage A Slow Pav
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| Abramovic and Stillman at Bach Festival |
March 31 2007 |
Charles Abramovic soothed most of my biases in favor of historical instruments when he accompanied flutist Mimi Stillman during the Bach festival. I don’t make a fuss about the instrumentation when music of this quality is played by musicians of this caliber, with a full understanding of the issues raised by modern instruments.
Bach Works for Flute. Mimi Stillman, flute; Charles Abramovic, piano. March 17, 2007 at First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut Street.
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| AVA’s ‘Jubilate!’ |
March 22 2007 |
An unexpected bit of jubilation opens Jubilate!, the annual program of religious music presented by the Academy of Vocal Arts. But the finale raises questions. Can we listen to a contemporary song about the Second Coming in the same way we listen to a 19th-Century setting of the Latin Mass?
Jubilate!: Rossini’s Stabat Mater, other works. AVA Resident Artists soloists, New Jersey MasterChoir, David Anthony Lofton conductor. March 11, 2007 at Chu
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| Orchestra 2001 and New Philadelphia Classical Symphony |
March 13 2007 |
Do these settings add anything to the poems? In this case, the answer is a definite yes. Luis Prado’s music has the same impact as a reading by a good actor.
Orchestra 2001: Kim, Three Poems in French; Prado, Two Poems of Joan Hutton Landis (Jodie Karin Applebaum. Soprano). Ligeti, Violin Concerto (Jennifer Koh, violin, James Freeman, conductor). February 25, 2007 AT Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St. (215) 922-2190 or Guide to Philadelphia music groups |
March 11 2007 |
These days Philadelphia abounds in serious music groups. How is a music lover of limited time and budget supposed to sort them out? Our highly opinionated critic, Tom Purdom, takes a stab at that challenge in the guide that follows. Bookmark this guide, or print it out and stick it on your refrigerator for quick reference, and your musical life is likely to become infinitely richer.
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| A cornucopia of “new” classical music |
February 17 2007 |
Contrary to popular belief, we classical music lovers don’t spend our evenings listening to Beethoven’s Fifth over and over again, night after night. Consider the banquet of “old” musical novelties I consumed this past month.
Dolce Suono: Schulhoff Concertino for Flute, Viola, and Double Bass with Mimi Stillman, Burchard Tang, Emilio Gravagno. January 24, 2007 at Rosenwald Gallery, Van Pelt Dietrich Library, University of Pennsylvania. 215-898-7088 or
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| Kim and Denk play Charles Ives |
January 27 2007 |
Soovin Kim and Jeremy Denk have never sung hymns in church or attended a Protestant revival. Yet they played the sonatas with the understanding of people who carried 19th Century New England in their genes. Perhaps we American have more of a common culture than we sometimes think.
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society: Four violin sonatas by Charles Ives. Soovin Kim, violin; Jeremy Denk, piano. January 18, 2007 at Fleisher Art Memorial, 719 Catherine St. 215-569-8080 or
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| The Orchestra plays ‘Lady Macbeth’ |
January 20 2007 |
Have you ever heard the Shostakovich opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District? Neither have I. But James Conlon’s performance of his suite from that work was one of the events of the season.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Mozart Overture to The Impresario; Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major with Jonathan Bliss; Shostakovich/Conlon Suite from Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. James Conlon conducting. January 11, 2007 at Verizon Hal
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| Conductors Marin Alsop and JoAnn Falletta |
January 20 2007 |
Instead of scouring the globe for a music director with a big reputation, the Philadelphia Orchestra might do well to look at promising young talent closer to home. Two such prospects recently passed this reviewer’s test with flying colors— both of them women.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Wagner Prelude to Act 1 of Tristan and Isolde; Harbison Concerto for Bass Viol and Orchestra with Harold Robinson; Copland Symphony No. 3. Marin Alsop conducting. January 9, 2
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| Maneval improves on Brahms |
January 05 2007 |
The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society’s first public performance of Philip Maneval’s variation on a Brahms trio was one of the big moments in my decades of concertgoing. If you like the Brahms, you will like the Maneval because it exudes the same poetry and passion, plus something more: Unlike Brahms, Maneval makes the horn an equal partner.
Trio for Piano, Violin and French Horn,
by Philip Maneval. Thomas Sauer,
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