Music

1916 results
Page 143
Not your customary quartet.

PRISM's five pieces for saxophones

Between opera and jazz

You will almost always hear some jazzy, syncopated rhythms in a PRISM saxophone concert, and that was the case in a number of the pieces in this season closer, featuring five world premieres and one local one, all by composers named Dave.

Articles 3 minute read
Fleck, Hussain, Meyer: No boundaries.

Fleck, Meyer and Hussain at the Keswick

When worlds collide

At the Keswick, the astonishing musicianship of Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Zakir Hussain transformed the unlikely combination of banjo, tabla, and bass into an exploration of musical possibilities.
Judy Weightman

Judy Weightman

Articles 3 minute read
There's nothing more rewarding of effort.

Utopia on earth: Choral singing

The ultimate right-brain high: Why I sing in a chorus

Does analytical thought add value to one's enjoyment of music? Dan Coren examines his experience as a choral singer in his continuing attempt to answer this baffling question.
Dan Coren

Dan Coren

Articles 6 minute read
Dutoit: 'World's greatest maestro'?

Philadelphia Orchestra's Washington concert

They love him in Washington

If ever the Philadelphia Orchestra and its interim music leader Charles Dutoit need a quick morale boost, their best bet is to jump on the Acela and head south to Washington. Consider their recent all-Russian program and its frenzied reception.
Rebecca J. Ritzel

Rebecca J. Ritzel

Articles 3 minute read

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Heimes: The soprano as mother.

Orchestra 2001 plays Barber and Maggio

Childhood 1915, parenthood 2010

Laura Heimes and Orchestra 2001 gave Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915 a reading that was more dramatic than the other performances I've heard. Then Robert Maggio's Summer: 2 A.M. provided an intriguing counterpart from a parent's perspective.
Tom Purdom

Tom Purdom

Articles 4 minute read
DePue: At home in the Appalachians.

Philadelphia Classical Symphony at Holy Trinity

The case for complexity

Mark O'Connor's Strings and Threads is an enjoyable collection of Irish folk pieces. But the complexity of Maurice Wright's Wissahickon Scenes makes it a far more powerful and musically interesting work.
Tom Purdom

Tom Purdom

Articles 4 minute read
Dudamel: Substance behind the smile.

LA Philharmonic visits Verizon Hall (2nd review)

Excitement, in more ways than one

With his East Coast premiere of John Adams's City Noir and his surprisingly intense interpretation of Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony, the LA Philharmonic's young conductor Gustavo Dudamel demonstrated that he's more than just another pretty face.
Steve Cohen

Steve Cohen

Articles 4 minute read
Dudamel: Exuberance, or lack of control?

LA Philharmonic visits Verizon Hall (1st review)

California dreamin'

The LA Philharmonic's sexy young music director, Gustavo Dudamel, invariably prompted comparisons with Philadelphia's leaderless orchestra. But those comparisons weren't all favorable.
Dan Rottenberg

Dan Rottenberg

Articles 3 minute read
Brossé: Where Conwell once held forth.

Historical venues for Chamber Orchestra and Vox Ama Deus

Acres of Diamonds: The sequel

Temple's renovated Lew Klein Hall and Old City's Old St. Joseph's Church are great places to hear Vivaldi and Rossini, underscored by an added touch of Philadelphia history.
Tom Purdom

Tom Purdom

Articles 5 minute read
Brownlee, Fleming: Trimming needed.

The Met's "Armida' in HD transmission

The trouble with Rossini

In the Met's production of Rossini's Armida, wonderful scenes and the stunning performance of Renée Fleming alternate with long patches of lesser interest. Armida. Opera by Gioacchino Rossini. Directed by Mary Zimmerman; Riccardo Frizza, conductor. Metropolitan Opera high-definition screen production May 19, 2010 in movie theaters throughout the U.S. (May 22 in Canada.) www.metoperafamily.org.
Steve Cohen

Steve Cohen

Articles 3 minute read