Music
1951 results
Page 137
Higdon, Hahn and Curtis (2nd review)
The poet returns to her incubator
What makes Curtis Institute one of the world's great music schools? Jennifer Higdon's Violin Concerto, written for her former Curtis student Hilary Hahn, is a touching portrait of the relationship between a powerful talent and the unique institution that nurtured her.
Articles
4 minute read
Jurowski conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra
A night of musical heroics
This stellar Philadelphia Orchestra concert, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski and including a stunning rendition of the Beethoven Violin Concerto by Lisa Batiashvili, ennobled the Classical repertoire as few concerts do.
Articles
3 minute read
OCP's "Roméo et Juliette' (2nd review)
She's a teenager— remember?
Is the Opera Company's fashionista version of Roméo et Juliette a travesty or a breath of fresh air? That's a matter of personal taste— and among teenagers, the response was surprisingly positive.
Articles
3 minute read
Curtis Orchestra: Modern and post-modern (1st review)
Hope for the future
The Curtis Orchestra's midwinter concert under Juanjo Mena, with soloist Hilary Hahn, featured a fine new Violin Concerto by Jennifer Higdon, flanked by the rarely heard Hindemith Concert Music for Strings and Brass, and the Shostakovich Fifth Symphony. Hahn was superb, and the strings of the Curtis particularly distinguished themselves.
Articles
6 minute read
"Nixon in China' at the Met
A cable-news opera
The Met's debut production of Nixon in China contains mesmerizing tunes and excellent musical craftsmanship. Its libretto, however, lacks human drama and emotion. It's more of a documentary than an opera.
Articles
3 minute read
Chamber Orchestra plays Faure, Mendelssohn and Beethoven
When everything clicks into place
The Chamber Orchestra's new leader programmed three widely varied pieces, introduced an electric young soloist, and led a post-concert discussion that was almost as interesting as the music itself.
Articles
4 minute read
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OCP's high-fashion "Roméo et Juliette' (1st review)
Gounod goes Prada
Gounod's Roméo et Juliette, generally well sung in a noisy production originating in Italy, works best when the principals themselves hold the stage. Unfortunately, its visual elements too often pre-empt the music.
Articles
3 minute read
St. Lawrence Quartet at the Perelman
Fewer contortions, more intensity
The St. Lawrence Quartet played beautifully, albeit like a group of hyperactive teenagers. If there was a flaw in their performance of Mozart's G Minor String Quartet, it was, ironically, their subtle lack of intensity.
Can real-life opera marriages survive?
Is that your heart or your ego? Or: Operatic marriages, pro and con
The trials of Verdi's Violetta or Puccini's Tosca are child's play next to the challenge of holding an operatic marriage together. Ailyn Pérez and Stephen Costello, currently appearing in Roméo et Juliette, are the latest to try. Wish them well.
Articles
6 minute read
How I learned to love Milton Babbitt
Milton Babbitt's ultimate message: Stop trying to hold on
Audiences didn't understand Milton Babbitt's music. For a long time, I didn't, either. But as he would say, who understands particle physics? For that matter, who understands James Joyce?
Articles
4 minute read