Mendelssohn Club: "Battle Hymns'

Battle Hymns, revisited

The Mendelssohn Club offers a second look at David Lang's new Battle Hymns. Four other Philadelphia music organizations collectively demonstrated the range and variety of Philadelphia's music season.

Tom Purdom

Oct 20, 2009 · Articles · 3 minute read

Streisand's "Love Is the Answer'

The lioness in autumn

Barbra Streisand's tastes have often changed over the past 40 years. Now, at 67, she has come out with an album of self-reflective songs performed by a great singer in the autumn of her years.

Armen Pandola

Oct 20, 2009 · Articles · 6 minute read

The LA Philharmonic: New hall, new leader

Learning from Los Angeles: A great new hall and a great new conductor

While the Philadelphia Orchestra flounders for lack of leadership, the Los Angeles Philharmonic unveiled its hot young Venezuelan conductor, Gustavo Dudamel.

Lesley Valdes

Oct 15, 2009 · Articles · 5 minute read

Philadelphia Orchestra's quandary (and Yuja Wang)

The Orchestra's Peggy Lee moment

Last weekend's Philadelphia Orchestra program seemed aimed at the ghosts of Eugene Ormandy's old crowd. Charles Dutoit isn't giving us the type of innovative programming he provided in his young conducting days in Montreal.

Steve Cohen

Oct 15, 2009 · Articles · 4 minute read

Opera Company's "Madame Butterfly' (1st review)

Passions of the Orient

Director Cynthia Stokes evokes mythic resonances in the Opera Company's Madame Butterfly, and soprano Ermonela Jaho gives a vocally and dramatically commanding performance in the title role. The striking set and lighting design complete this fresh and impressively conceived view of one of opera's perennial classics.

Robert Zaller

Oct 12, 2009 · Articles · 6 minute read

A voice for black classical musicians

With a little help from the Internet: Black classical music rears its head

My friend the soprano Randye Jones used to think of herself as an anomaly: an African-American who loved to perform and study classical music. Now, thanks to the Internet, she's changing that perception, with a new website and web-based radio service.

Maria Thompson Corley

Oct 11, 2009 · Articles · 4 minute read

Lyric Fest: Brahms and American comedy

Not love songs, but songs to love

In another gutsy program, Lyric Fest combined Brahms's appealing waltz songs with a pair of American comedy turns.

Tom Purdom

Oct 10, 2009 · Articles · 2 minute read

Di Wu's Philadelphia piano debut recital

Poet at the keyboard (and on her feet)

The young pianist Di Wu knows what she wants to say at the keys and away from them. At her Philadelphia debut recital she spoke to the crowded venue in an easy communicative style, as if we were all old friends.

Lesley Valdes

Oct 06, 2009 · Articles · 3 minute read

Philadelphia Orchestra's season kickoff

Color and power (sans adventure)

The Philadelphia Orchestra kicked off its season with the kind of big, spectacular music that requires a major orchestra with an organ at its disposal.

Tom Purdom

Oct 06, 2009 · Articles · 2 minute read

Philadelphia Orchestra: Brahms and Bartok

Beethoven's shadow (and Wagner's too)

The Philadelphia Orchestra offered a seasoned warhorse, the Brahms Second Piano Concerto, freshly realized by soloist Yefim Bronfman, and a rare performance of the entire score of Bartok's ballet-pantomime, The Miraculous Mandarin. The specter of Wagner hung over both works, each of which rejected it in its own way.

Robert Zaller

Oct 06, 2009 · Articles · 6 minute read