Zombies and Lindsey Buckingham at the Keswick

Nostalgia time for baby boomers

The Zombies and the Fleetwood Mac guitarist/songwriter Lindsey Buckingham provided reassurance for us aging baby-boomers that, at least sometimes, nostalgia pays.

Mark Wolverton

Sep 30, 2011 · Articles · 4 minute read

Lyric Fest's "Bawdy Bard'

The birds, the bees and the ale

Lyric Fest joined forces with an early music expert to delve into celebrations of sex, nature and carousing from the era of Chaucer, Shakespeare and the medieval troubadours.

Tom Purdom

Sep 27, 2011 · Articles · 4 minute read

Poor Richard's "Opera a Day' (2nd review)

Hors d'oeuvres by Menotti and Bernstein

Most one-act operas can't stand on their own. The Poor Richard's company performed a service by presenting five that pass the test, including two I saw.

Steve Cohen

Sep 26, 2011 · Articles · 3 minute read

"What a Wonderful World': The drummer's difference

A great song dissected: The drummer made the difference

Louis Armstrong draws us in with a voice that makes the sentimentality real. The drummer Grady Tate keeps us honest. That's why “What a Wonderful World” is something other than just a pretty song. And that's why it's unsettling.

Kile Smith

Sep 25, 2011 · Articles · 5 minute read

Chamber Orchestra at the Perelman

Do you see the landscape? Do you feel the war?

Disparate works by Mendelssohn and Dirk Brossé beg a question: Should we insist that the music must stand by itself, without any reference to the subject matter?

Tom Purdom

Sep 20, 2011 · Articles · 4 minute read

Vox Renaissance Consort"s "Angelus'

Island of peace

Valentin Radu exercised his talent for pace and variety, astutely adapting Renaissance church music to the demands of a modern concert format.

Tom Purdom

Sep 20, 2011 · Articles · 3 minute read

Xavier Le Roy's "More Mouvements für Lachenmann'

Hearing and seeing music

The French choreographer Xavier Le Roy joins forces with the German avant-garde composer Helmut Lachenmann to produce captivating theater that renders music visually and sonically.

Jonathan M. Stein

Sep 20, 2011 · Articles · 3 minute read

Lessons for Philadelphia from the Bard Music Festival

How to resuscitate Classical music: Ten lessons from the Bard Summer Festival

Thousands of visitors flock to Bard College every August for Bard's famous summer music festival. What's the big draw, and what lessons can Philadelphians learn from Bard's success? The real attraction is the promise of intellectual discovery.

Karl Middleman

Sep 13, 2011 · Articles · 8 minute read

Sports and music: a common link

Why musicians don't keep score

Long before I became a composer, I played soccer. In the process I learned a useful lesson: In sports as in music, the ultimate goal isn't perfection; it's humility and humanity.

Kile Smith

Sep 13, 2011 · Articles · 5 minute read

Poor Richard's "Opera a Day' at the Fringe (1st review)

Seven nights, seven operas (and just one problem)

Poor Richard's stripped-down productions of seven one-act operas present a good opportunity to sample an odd corner of the opera repertoire for $15 a ticket, if you can understand the words.

Tom Purdom

Sep 06, 2011 · Articles · 3 minute read