Music Group's "Winging Wildly'

Second hearings are actually rarer than premieres. Most music organizations are happy to schedule a premiere now and then. Repeat performances are less glamorous.

“Winging Wildly: Music for Chamber Chorus.” Mechem’s Winging Wildly, Convery’s Israfel; Copland’s In the Beginning. Music Group of Philadelphia; Sean Deibler conducting; Janice Fiore, soprano; Terence Belzer, oboe. May 18, 2007 at Trinity Center for Urban

Tom Purdom

May 22, 2007 · Articles · 4 minute read

AVA's 'Manon'

Massenet’s Manon is a tough assignment and consequently rarely performed. But the good work on stage and in the pit changed my negative feelings about this opera.

Manon. Opera by Jules Massenet; Christofer Macatsoris conducting. Academy of Vocal Arts production April 27-May 12, 2007, at three locations. (215) 735-1685 or www.avaopera.com.

Steve Cohen

May 15, 2007 · Articles · 4 minute read

Philadelphia Orchestra plays Mahler's Second

How does a modern hero get to heaven? Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony is perhaps our closest approach to the Dantesque sublime, and Christoph Eschenbach mounted a convincing performance in the Orchestra’s penultimate performance of his penultimate season.

Mahler Second Symphony (Resurrection). Philadelphia Orchestra, Christoph Eschenbach conducting. May 3-5, 2007 at Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center; May 8, 2007 at Carnegie Hall, New York. (215) 893.190

Robert Zaller

May 08, 2007 · Articles · 4 minute read

Opera Company's "Falstaff'

The least outstanding performance in this otherwise enjoyable production is that by the title character. Roberto de Candia's high, lean baritone and weak portrayal notwithstanding, Verdi’s opera is a masterpiece and this production a joy.

Falstaff. By Giuseppe Verdi. Robert Driver, director; Corrado Rovaris, conductor. Opera Company of Philadelphia production through May 13, 2007 at Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Sts. (215) 893-3600 or

Steve Cohen

May 05, 2007 · Articles · 3 minute read

American String Quartet with Lydia Artymiw

The American String Quartet and pianist Lydia Artymiw dug into Haydn, Shostakovich and Dohnanyi with obvious relish, and paid tribute to Mstislav Rostropovich in a moving encore.

American String Quartet, with Lydia Artymiw, pianist. May 2, 2007 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, (215) 569-8080 or

Robert Zaller

May 05, 2007 · Articles · 5 minute read

Orchestra plays John Adams

I had the impression that the Orchestra had become a collective ecosystem, like a coral reef, teeming with the minute details of self-perpetuating organic processes. Has anyone at the Orchestra considered trying to hire Donald Runnicles? This guy is the real deal.

Philadelphia Orchestra: Works by John Adams, Bruch. Donald Runnicles conducting; Janine Jansen, violin solo. April 20-21, 2007 at Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center. 215. 893.1900 or

Dan Coren

Apr 28, 2007 · Articles · 5 minute read

A trio of violin concerts

The Philadelphia Orchestra, Orchestra 2001 and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia inadvertently present an unplanned three-concert violin festival, covering the Western tradition of violin music from 1733 to sometime around ten p.m. EDT on April 14, 2007.

Orchestra 2001: Clearfield Romanza for Violin and Orchestra with Gloria Justin; James Freeman conducting. April 14 2007 at Trinity Center for Urban Life, 22nd and Spruce Sts. 215-922-2190 or

Tom Purdom

Apr 28, 2007 · Articles · 4 minute read

Kronos Quartet plays "Sun Rings'

Sun Rings is a meditation on the Voyager space probes of the 1970s, full of furious action, accompanied by non-stop visual projections. I loved it. The audience loved it. Then we read the Inquirer critic's review.

Sun Rings. Composed by Terry Riley. Kronos Quartet, April 19, 2007 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. www.kronosquartet.org.

Dan Coren

Apr 28, 2007 · Articles · 5 minute read

Lyric Fest's 'American Poets in Song'

The Lyric Fest song series surveys the huge library of songs based on American poetry created by American composers. Every selection met my primary test for song settings: The music always added something extra to the words.

Lyric Fest: American Poets in Song. Timothy Bentch, Suzanne DuPlantis, Leslie Johnson, Randi Marrazzo, Randall Scarlata, Elizabeth Weigle, Paul Sperry, vocalists; Laura Ward, piano. April 15, 2007 at First Presbyterian Church, 21st and Walnut.

Tom Purdom

Apr 24, 2007 · Articles · 4 minute read

Vox Ama Deus performs Verdi's "Requiem'

Verdi’s Requiem was a good choice for a Good Friday tribute to the fallen of Iraq and Afghanistan, but it’s also a piece that moved Vox Ama Deus out of its normal range of the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical periods.

Verdi Requiem. Vox Ama Deus: Tatyana Galitskaya, soprano; Tatyana Rashkovsky, mezzo-soprano; Kenneth Garner, tenor; Ed Bara, bass; Valentin Radu, conductor. April 6, 2007, at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. (610) 688-2800 o

Tom Purdom

Apr 21, 2007 · Articles · 3 minute read