Archive for July, 2008
Cellist’s offbeat tastes are hitting the mark
When Mark Kosower takes the stage, or sanctuary, Thursday night at Coral Gables Congregational Church, his recital will offer fare by familiar names like Bach, Mendelssohn, and Poulenc.
But…
Mon Jul 28, 2008
at 8:55 pm
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Miami Lyric’s "Butterfly" takes a late flight
By now Miami Lyric Opera regulars know what to expect. As with an eccentric but loveable, well-intentioned relative, you overlook the faults to focus on the positives. In the case…
Sun Jul 27, 2008
at 5:04 am
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"Boheme" times two
Puccini: La Boheme.
Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazon, Nicole Cabell, Boaz Daniel
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
Bertrand de Billy (Deutsche Grammophon)
Puccini: La Boheme
Norah Amsellem, Marcus Haddock, Georgia…
Sat Jul 26, 2008
at 6:35 pm
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South Beach "Butterfly"
In May, Miami Lyric Opera presented a startlingly good Lucia di Lammermoor, in a production that was well sung and dramatically compelling. Raffaele Cardone’s fledgling company will tackle a…
Thu Jul 24, 2008
at 5:41 pm
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From Mozart to Martinu
The Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival presents another distinctive program this weekend, featuring Mozart’s Duo for violin and viola, Max Reger’s Flute Trio, Martinu’s delightful Revue de Cuisine and the…
Thu Jul 24, 2008
at 5:05 pm
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Sounds of near-silence
Feldman: The Viola in My Life I-IV
Marek Konstantynowicz
Cikada Ensemble
Norwegian Radio Orchestra/Christian Eggen
(ECM)
The art of Morton Feldman, like the man himself, is a study in…
Sat Jul 19, 2008
at 2:47 pm
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A festive musical repast
The second program of the Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival continues its juxtaposition of rarely heard music with more standard items. Once again, the Helen K. Persson Hall at Palm…
Sat Jul 19, 2008
at 1:54 pm
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Cafe Table and musical chairs
Part deux of the Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival spans the centuries with an emphasis on works inspired by or arranged for the salon, café, or dining hall. Telemann’s Tafelmusik…
Thu Jul 17, 2008
at 9:03 pm
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Love songs, live from Aspen
Peter Lieberson’s Neruda Songs comprise the most moving and unearthly beautiful song cycle since Richard Strauss’s Four Last Songs. Like Strauss’s valedictory work, these five settings based on the Chilean…
Thu Jul 17, 2008
at 3:51 pm
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Exiting the stage
A personal note about my friend Jack Zink, theater, music and cultural affairs writer at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. A fixture in the region’s critical community for nearly four…
Tue Jul 15, 2008
at 6:33 pm
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Beethoven rarities spark Chamber Fest opener
The Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival is the perfect answer for listeners feeling concert deprivation during the summer doldrums. Each of the four weekend programs is repeated at three
…
Sat Jul 12, 2008
at 2:52 pm
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Copland from the Heartland
Copland: The Tender Land Suite; Piano Concerto; Old American Songs, Sets 1 and 2.
Benjamin Pasternack, pianist
St. Charles Singers
Robert Hanson/Elgin Symphony Orchestra
Naxos
The Naxos label’s invaluable American Classics…
Fri Jul 11, 2008
at 12:51 am
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Got Ludwig if you want it
Yes, it’s peak summer in South Florida, and, yes, there is scant classical music happening. But for those of us unwilling or unable to escape the godless seasonal humidity, there…
Thu Jul 10, 2008
at 6:20 pm
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CD Review
Amazing Grace: A Gospel and Bluegrass Journey
Seraphic Fire
Patrick Dupre Quigley, artistic director
Folk, bluegrass and gospel normally fall far outside the Classical Review’s charge. But even if this…
Sun Jul 06, 2008
at 6:59 pm
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CD Review Lara goes Australian
Hindson: Violin Concerto; Corigliano: Suite from The Red Violin; Liszt/Kennedy-St. John: Totentanz.
Lara St. John
Sarah Ioannides/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Ancalagon)
With her latest CD, Lara St. John serves up the…
Fri Jul 04, 2008
at 8:16 pm
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Critics in a hostile world
A timely, thoughtful piece by Martin Bernheimer in the Financial Times. http://tinyurl.com/6yrgwg.
Fri Jul 04, 2008
at 5:24 pm
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Independence Day
Today was my last as classical music critic of the Miami Herald, which means I am now free to devote my full attention to this blog and to building a…
Thu Jul 03, 2008
at 10:58 pm
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