Orchestra's two flute concertos

Inspiration sans charisma

With Charles Dutoit sidelined, the Orchestra's principal flutist, Jeffrey Khaner, provided the necessary star power by performing premieres of two flute concertos, one of them nearly 400 years old.

Dan Rottenberg

Mar 08, 2011 · Articles · 1 minute read

Pennsylvania Ballet's "Swan Lake' (2nd review)

The swan competition: And the winner is….

In the coveted Swan Queen role, the up-and-coming dancers Brooke Moore and Lauren Fadeley both displayed the necessary technical skill. But only Moore truly inhabited the part.

Jim Rutter

Mar 08, 2011 · Articles · 5 minute read

Chamber Orchestra: Solzhenitsyn returns (2nd review)

Solzhenitsyn's balanced return

Ignat Solzhenitsyn returned to his old stomping ground to lead the Chamber Orchestra through two well-balanced classics and a moving mid-century experiment with 12-tone music.

Tom Purdom

Mar 08, 2011 · Articles · 3 minute read

My personal stake in "Boris Godunov'

Boris Godunov and my ancestors

To you, Boris Godunov is a convoluted opera about a power struggle among Russian madmen a long time ago. To me, it holds a possible key to my family's history.

Steve Cohen

Mar 08, 2011 · Articles · 6 minute read

Solzhenitsyn plays Mozart for non-purists (1st review)

What did Mozart really want?

Are Mozart's scores sacrosanct as they are written? Or are they an invitation to play 18th-Century jazz? Ignat Solzhenitsyn, appearing as piano soloist and conductor laureate with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, left no doubt about his answer.

Dan Coren

Mar 08, 2011 · Articles · 3 minute read

Pennsylvania Ballet's "Swan Lake' (1st review)

Out of the forest and into the studio

Roy Kaiser says he wanted a Swan Lake that was an original production. He couldn't have known how well Christopher Wheeldon's poetic original interpretation of a long established classic would suit his company and his audience.

Janet Anderson

Mar 08, 2011 · Articles · 6 minute read

Tracy Letts's "Superior Donuts' at the Arden (1st review)

What a difference a counterman makes

Making perfect donuts day after day might be an achievement, but it doesn't quite add up to a life for Arthur, the proprietor of the Superior Donuts store in Uptown Chicago. But one day he hires an enthusiastic neighborhood kid, who manages to strip the glaze off everything.

Marshall A. Ledger

Mar 08, 2011 · Articles · 3 minute read

Charles Newman at F.A.N. Gallery

Son of the Ashcan School

Charles Newman is a 21st-Century heir to the Impressionists: In place of sharp detail, he offers gentle atmospheric effects.

Andrew Mangravite

Mar 05, 2011 · Articles · 1 minute read

Pianist Andreas Haefliger at the Perelman

A thing for Wagner

The young German pianist Andreas Haefliger didn't seem fully engaged when he played Mozart and Liszt. Only when he got to Wagner did he seem to catch fire.

Steve Cohen

Mar 05, 2011 · Articles · 2 minute read

"George Inness in Italy,' at the Art Museum

Something about that Italian sun

The great American landscape painter George Inness enjoyed two extended trips to Italy that inspired dramatic changes in his art. The Art Museum's current show offers an opportunity to bask in the warmth of the Italian sun and enjoy life then and now.

Anne R. Fabbri

Mar 05, 2011 · Articles · 4 minute read