Angela Meade's Met debut

It is 18 minutes after eight on Friday, March 21, and an audience of 3,500 sits in the Met awaiting one of the most difficult of all soprano arias. About to sing it is Angela Meade, a substitute artist making her Met debut with one day’s notice.

Ernani. Opera by Giuseppe Verdi. Roberto Abbado, conuctor. March 21, 26, 29 at Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center, New York. (212) 362-6000 or www.metoperafamily.o

Steve Cohen

Mar 25, 2008 · Articles · 5 minute read

AVA's "Kát'a Kabanová'

The AVA’s production of Leos Janacek’s Kát'a Kabanová was a significant achievement, especially when you consider the obstacles.

Kát'a Kabanová. Opera by Leos Janacek; directed by Blanka Zizka. Academy of Vocal Arts
 production Feb. 22-March 1, 2008 at Helen Corning Warden Theater, 1920 Spruce St. (215) 735-1685 or www.avaopera.com.

Steve Cohen

Mar 17, 2008 · Articles · 3 minute read

Curtis Opera's 'Ainadamar'

Homage to Garcia Lorca

Ainadamar, "the fountain of tears," is a beautiful piece of music. But you must come equipped with some prior knowledge of the life and times of the poet Federico Garcia Lorca and the Spanish Civil War.

Ainadamar. Opera by Osvaldo Golijov; libretto by David Henry Hwang; directed by Chas Rader-Shieber; Corrado Rovaris, conductor. Curtis Opera Theatre production March 14-16, 2008 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. (215) 893-1999 or

Steve Cohen

Mar 15, 2008 · Articles · 4 minute read

Rhorer conducts Chamber Orchestra

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

Tom Purdom

Mar 15, 2008 · Articles · 5 minute read

Tokyo String Quartet at Convention Center

The excellent Tokyo Quartet, like most brand-name chamber groups, has retooled itself over the years. Its two newcomers are actually the best musicians in the group, especially first violinist Martin Beaver.

Tokyo String Quartet: Haydn, Beethoven Shostakovich. With Lydia Artymiw, piano. Presented by Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, March 11, 2008 at Pennsylvania Convention Center, 13th and Cherry St. (215) 569-8080 or

Robert Zaller

Mar 15, 2008 · Articles · 6 minute read

Curtis Opera's 'Ainadamar'

Ainadamar, "the fountain of tears," is a beautiful piece of music. But you must come equipped with some prior knowledge of the life and times of the poet Federico Garcia Lorca and the Spanish Civil War.

Ainadamar. Opera by Osvaldo Golijov; libretto (in Spanish) by David Henry Hwang; directed by Chas Rader-Shieber; Corrado Rovaris, conductor. Curtis Opera Theatre production March 14-16, 2008 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. (215) 893-1999 or

Steve Cohen

Mar 15, 2008 · Articles · 4 minute read

Tempesta di Mare with puppets

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

Tom Purdom

Mar 11, 2008 · Articles · 3 minute read

Orchestra's "Eirene' and "Carmina Burana"

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

Tom Purdom

Mar 08, 2008 · Articles · 3 minute read

Sonata-form (part 6): Mozart the juggler

In the sixth in his series of essays on sonata-form, Dan Coren shows how Mozart, in the course of riding his own piano concertos to fame and fortune, adapted the sonata-form exposition to his own dramatic ends.

Dan Coren

Mar 04, 2008 · Articles · 6 minute read

Vienna Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall

The Vienna Philharmonic is sold out at home for the next six years, and for good reason. It’s an orchestra of virtuosi, one by one, who together play with the best precision and passion that I’ve ever heard.

Vienna Philharmonic. Verdi, Tchaikovsky, Liszt. Valery Gergiev, conductor. March 1-2, 2008 at Carnegie Hall, 57th St. and Sixth Avenue check, New York. www.wienerphilharmoniker.at.

Be'eri Moalem

Mar 04, 2008 · Articles · 4 minute read